Another Public-Private Partnership Disaster


Public-Private Partnership Disasters

Canada: The Confederation Bridge
The Confederation Bridge which connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick is another P3 disaster from around the world - a disaster much like the failures (SR 91 and SR 125) that have cost California taxpayers hundreds of millions more than they should have. Because they are so profitable, it is not a surprise that multi-national companies and Wall Street investment houses want to bring more such P3s to the "lucrative" California market.



The Public Interest Alternative __________

Require competitive bidding. Require public oversight, design and inspection to ensure public safety and cost controls. Utilize tax exempt public financing which is as much as 35 percent lower than private borrowing. Tolls should be reinvested in our transportation and other public infrastructure. Prohibit non-compete clauses and cash payments that prevent improvements to competing public roads, increasing congestion. __________ 1Report of the Auditor General of Canada, 1995, Northumberland Strait Crossing Project. 2An Analysis of a Public-Private Sector-Partnership: The Confederation Bridge, By Salim J. Loxley, 1999.