Are the Lines of Government Involvement with Non-Profits Becoming Blurred?

I currently read an article that states that Gov. Jerry Brown just signed a bill that would allow non-profits to run state parks rather than letting those parks close. I understand the desperation of the economic crisis that is plaguing our treasury, but I can’t help but wonder the impact this will have in other areas.

On the LosGatosPatch.com, editor Sheila Sanchez reports that, “Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s Assembly Bill 42 authorizes the California Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into agreements with the nonprofits… Seventy state parks are scheduled to close next summer because of the state budget deficit.”
“Particularly in these tough economic times, creative public/private partnerships are an essential tool in providing ongoing protection of, and continued access to, these treasured public assets. As we struggle to address California’s state budget deficit, I will continue to work to protect funding for state parks,” commented Huffman.

If the government is willing to release control of recreational parks into the public sector, does this mean that other areas will follow such as county hospitals, food stamps, public transportation and foster care? Would that be so bad? The good thing about non-profits is how frugal they are with their spending; that may be a step up from government controlled agencies. However, how would the government allocate taxpayer money to these agencies and would government based projects get more privileges? Also, how would the government decide which charities would be able to take over certain government run agencies? With separation of church and state, would specific groups be left out of the pool?

So, I’m probably putting the cart before the horse with all of those questions, but I think that this is a curious topic that we haven’t seen the end of. Economists are conflicted about what part of the bell curve this recession is on, so who knows how many more non-profits will be impacted by government decisions and their “creative public/private partnerships?”

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