MSN on Ideas to Save Detroit Billions

MSN.com reported recently on a list of recommendations Mackinac Center for Public Policy Fiscal Policy Director Michael LaFaive made 13 years ago that could have saved the city of Detroit billions of dollars.

Excerpt:

• The Mackinac Center estimated that Detroit could save $6.4 million annually if it contracted out some of its garbage collection services.
• LaFaive estimated that Detroit could save nearly $50 million annually if it contracted out some of its water services. If it were to sell the system entirely, Detroit could make between $1.8 billion and $2.3 billion, LaFaive estimated.
• If Detroit used competitively franchised or contracted buses, it could save more than $60 million annually, Mackinac wrote.
• A potential sale of the Detroit Public Lighting Department could bring between $300 million and $500 million, according to Mackinac.
• Just by contracting out the oil changes on 500 Detroit Police Department vehicles, the city could save almost $850,000 annually, Mackinac reported.

In a special issue of Michigan Privatization Report from December 2000, LaFaive wrote about the services the city should privatize and assets it should sell.