Re: Milwaukee's best

[Bill Rosenberg <w.rosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I know this thread has died but can't resist a little parochialism --
not quite a socialist council but... Have a look at
http://www.press.co.nz/17/98050133.htm

This is complete with photo of the Christchurch mayor and three City
Councillors in their newly made "People's Republic of Christchurch"
T-shirts. The story behind it is that Douglas Myers, richest person in
New Zealand, head of the biggest brewer in the country (Lion Nathan,
just sold (45%) to Kirin Brewery of Japan, benefitting Myers by almost
$NZ500 million), and prominent spokesman for the ultra-neoliberal
Business Round Table, criticised the CCC for hanging onto its assets. It
should be selling them off, contracting the services out, and stop all
these namby-pamby social services he advised. He called it the People's
Republic of Christchurch, which "hadn't noticed that the world has moved
on, with even China desparately trying to get rid of State-owned
enerprises".

Of course the Councillors would stoutly defend themselves against being
called "socialists". At least one of the pictured Councillors is in fact
an extreme Tory. But as a whole they have taken a sturdy independent
path of keeping control of most of their assets (such as power company,
port, airport) and, to Myers' chagrin, this is paying off in almost
writing off Council debt, and keeping rates (and power prices) amongst
the lowest among main centres, while it provides, according to polls,
some of the best local services in the country.

To their credit they recently passed (without dissenting voice to my
great surprise) a strong anti-MAI motion calling for an exemption for
all local government.

They're not perfect, but still a source of some local pride.

Cheers
Bill

Bill Rosenberg
w.rosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx