bury my heart in sandy springs georgia

I just read an article about Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of 94,000 people located near Atlanta. The story describes how the community has outsourced the majority of city services, like building inspection, courts, public works and 911 calls, to private companies. According to sources interviewed, things are working out well.

The story was framed in the context of national debates about public vs. private management and governance. I believe this debate is flawed, and there are significant clues in the story about why the character of an organization has less to do with the teachings of Marx or Hayek and more about the competence and will of the people who are responsible for its management.  Human organizations, whether they number two people or two billion can separated into two categories--those that work and those that do not.

Peter Drucker made this observation, but his teachings seem to have been forgotten by the talking heads who populate the airwaves and bookshelves these days. Sandy Springs has many advantages, not least of which is a core of leadership that is focused on providing services for the people in the community. The same cannot be said for many private corporations, or the kleptocratic regimes that dominate so many nations.