Rita Painter believes the beauty school business can turn ugly when government gets involved.
The owner of two schools in Weber County, she has long argued that government-sponsored vocational schools do not need to teach the same things she does.Now she'll have the chance to do something about it. Painter is one of 11 people appointed by Gov. Norm Bangerter to a board that will decide whether some things the state does ought to be turned over exclusively to private business. Legislators passed a law last year establishing the board. Its second meeting is scheduled Nov. 30.
Although composed of people with varying opinions on the subject, the board appears ready to seriously consider the future of a number of government agencies.
"We're seeing a period where this is happening across the nation," Painter said about the move toward what is commonly called privatization.
Recent scandals in agencies that once were directly controlled by the state have made many wary of privatization. The Timpanogos Mental Health Agency is one example. Controlled by a board composed of commissioners from three counties, the agency suffered thefts by top administrators totaling $3.5 million.
The most recent scandal involved the Utah Retirement System, which legislative auditors found had problems with inflated salaries, altered payrolls and nepotism. The retirement system was removed from state control several years ago and placed under a board of directors appointed by the governor.
But supporters of privatization are quick to note that none of those agencies was truly privatized.
"They were groups the government spun off into autonomous organizations," said Sen. William Barton, R-West Valley. "True privatization is where you make companies bid competitively and you put them into the marketplace."
Barton, an avid supporter of increased privatization, also was appointed to the board. The other nine members include legislators who are suspicious of the movement, education officials, private business representatives and officials from the Utah Public Employees Association.
So far, board members point to jobs such as printing and auto maintenance as things the state now does that easily could be given to private business.
Barton believes taxpayers could save as much as half the cost they now pay for many services if competitive, private businesses were involved. He believes the mere threat of privatization will streamline many government agencies.
"There are some areas that shouldn't be privatized, but we ought to look at a lot of them, including roads and highways," he said.
Other members of the board appear more cautious. Sen. Eldon Money, D-Spanish Fork, said government has to guard against abuses.
"You've got to be awful careful because it could get out of hand," he said. "I never have particularly been for it, but I could be convinced otherwise in certain areas."