I walk the puppy at least twice per day. I tend to look down at the sidewalk. Looking down so as to not stumble.
When I look down, there is a story revealed by the imprints in the concrete.
In the 1950’s 60’s and 70’s, the imprints show that the City did the work of installing the concrete sidewalks.
Then the work shifted to the private sector. A number of mostly Italian construction companies did the work.
Their imprints appear in the concrete.
One such family in the concrete trades was the Gazzola family. Their imprints appear in concrete throughout the city.
So where is this going?
I am in the healthcare field. And there is a hotly contested series of opinions about the danger of the private sector in delivering healthcare services.
Sidewalks are a public utility. Everyone benefits from the sidewalks. We benefit equally.
It is unlikely of any relevance if the concrete work was done by the City or by a private contractor.
In fact, the private contractors had to compete for the business. The city likely benefited financially by using the private sector.
So why not allow private contractors to deliver another public utility- healthcare.