Doug, I think that government (federal, state, or local) can do a better job of anything where services need to be provided at a comparable level to people regardless of their economic status. That includes police services, firefighting, military, education, welfare (in all its forms), environmental protection, and a whole host of other areas. I know it is currently a hot issue, but I also believe that this applies to medical care, and that the medical system in the USA will keep getting more problematic until we all come to terms with this reality.

I have spent most (but not all) of my adult life in government. In my eight years with the United States Coast Guard I have saved lives, ensured the safety of navigation and shipping, cleaned up the environment, evaluated and guarded against terrorist threats, and served as a deterrent to the military forces of other countries (I am fortunate enough to have never been required to serve in wartime; I have enormous respect for the dedication and sacrifices of those who have done so). None of these things would have been done as well, or with as much regard for the rights and safety of ALL citizens (irrespective of their economic status), had we been forced to rely on the private sector. As you have acknowledged, the essence of the private sector is the profit motive. Had the private sector been responsible for these functions, the wealthy would have been saved and protected, while the poor would have been left to fend for themselves.

In my career since leaving the USCG, I have worked in the environmental protection and cleanup field, in both the public and private sectors. While there are well-meaning individuals in both, the essential underlying motivation is what makes the difference. A corporation MUST put profits first, or it will lose out to the competition. Therefore ALL companies and corporations that I have represented as a private sector consultant (a very large number, from small businesses to multinational corporations) required my services primarily to see how little they could get away with in fulfilling their legal obligations to clean up the environment. I don't blame them for this, but I recognize that it is so. And the more successful I was in meeting their needs, the more the environment was put at risk. The victims of my successes include every individual in the affected area who breathes the air, drinks the water, and otherwise partakes of the resources that are supposed to be here for all of us.

Our democracy, of course, functions increasingly as a public/private partnership. That is as it should be; both are necessary, and need to be kept in balance to ensure that we have a viable AND responsible economic system. I am all for efficiency, but in my experience the private sector is no more efficient in its use of resources than the public sector. The private sector keeps getting bigger; shouldn't the public sector as well?