A taste of Hurricane Katrina treatment for Christchurch
Most of us remember the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina which laid waste to the city of New Orleans.
US President George Bush was widely derided for the slow response to help the low-income communities most affected but his government wasn’t slow to act when the city was rebuilt. New Orleans residents lost their public schools, public health centres and public housing. The city was rebuilt as a model of privatisation – a case of moving from one disaster to another.
Private investors were thrilled – they like the guaranteed income streams and regular, reliable profits which come from private companies providing government services.
But privatising schools and public services is always unpopular so natural disasters are often used to drive this corporate agenda. Continue reading
John Minto 