For those who like to criticize government, be glad you can. If government continues to get privatized, that privilege will be gone.

Remember when our PSE bills came every other month? That was before PSE got sold to Macquarie Corp. Now their bills come every month and most of ours are for more than they were when they only came bi-monthly. Why did we let that happen? Did you know that Macquarie offered the former CEO a cool million dollar bonus and continuation as CEO to “facilitate” the sale? Reportedly, PSE is trying for another 8 percent increase this year. We got upset when our county wanted just a tiny tax increase in Prop. 1 not long ago.

Do you know what else Macquarie owns? Well a few years ago they got a 99 year lease on the Indiana Turnpike. That’s the traffic bottleneck where I-80 and I-90 converge near Chicago to become the most heavily traveled corridor of the northeast. The contract restricts Indiana from constructing any alternate highways. According to transportation journals, Macquarie arbitrarily raised tolls some 3 to 5 times what they were before.

Bet you didn’t know that Macquarie is reportedly buying up baggage handling facilities at airports across the country. Has anyone noticed how people are complaining that airline fares are adding baggage handling fees they didn’t before?

What if gasoline had become a public utility when electricity and natural gas were? Would it be costing us twice what it did just a few years ago? I worked at a gas station that once sold regular grade gas at 28 cents a gallon and made a profit. Barb’s Dad had a station that once sold at 15 cents. We did the pumping too, washed windows, checked oil and tire pressure, provided clean bathrooms and free maps, gave Green Stamps (remember them?) and things like steak knife sets and kitchen utensils for fill-ups that were over 10 gallons.

Sure government needs to be watched and abuses creep in, but it’s the best thing democracy invented. At least we still have a voice in it. Let’s keep our criticisms civil and constructive so we can keep it. Democracy means we all own a share of the government. Privatization: we don’t. We just have to shut up and “take it in the shorts.”

We fought to get democracy. For the moment, protest is just “occupy.”

For better or worse, we’re all in this together. Let’s make it for better.

Al and Barbara Williams
Oak Harbor