READERS WRITE

City of Atlanta could save $100 million

One of the “critical priorities” of the Atlanta turnaround plan of 2002 —- prepared pro-bono by Bain & Company —- is “the process whereby traditional government services are bid by both private firms and the existing city government department.” Since 1992, not a single city service has been bid. Yet according to the turnaround plan, “the estimated savings from marketization can be significant.” The city services and the possible savings are shown on page 53 of the plan and are important to the taxpayers:

Residential waste collection, savings up to 60 percent; fleet management and maintenance, 38 percent; airport management and operations, 40 percent; fire services, 50 percent; non-sworn police, 30 percent; recreational facilities management and operations, 52 percent; road maintenance, 50 percent; wastewater treatment, 30 percent.

Based on the city’s budget, marketization or outsourcing would save the taxpayers well over $100 million annually.

JOHN S. SHERMAN

Sherman is president of the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation

More foreign workers won’t help

In response to Michael Clemens’ column about the need for the great influx of foreign workers to keep the engines of industry and commerce running, I offer a rebuttal (“Immigrants are an engine of prosperity,” @issue, Nov. 27). He would not be making these claims if he had family and friends unemployed in the construction and landscaping trades because illegal workers take these jobs at much lower wages.

Additionally, the families of these illegal workers cost the U.S. taxpayer billions of dollars in welfare, health and educational cost. I see Clemens works for the Center for Global Development, a think tank in Washington, D.C., within the Beltway. His claims show he is more concerned about helping people of other countries than helping American workers.

BRUCE B. LIND

Hull