Important economic decisions would be made by the state rather than by private managers and owners.

He said that because private managers have experience and a proven record of managing buildings, they can turn a building around in about a year.

The President says business and labor support changes that will hand over some pensions to private managers and make the system more efficient.

While private managers can bully their unions, public officials have to listen.

Give government managers the same flexibility that private managers have.

"We could have a 30-year lease or hire a private manager for a fee."

"So it makes all the sense in the world to bring in a private manager with a record of success in turning around schools."

His plan to turn some 250 city-owned apartment buildings over to private managers is a case in point.

In theory, private managers' performance is monitored by actual and potential shareholders.

When the country's largest private manager of public schools arrived here in 1998, it promised to turn around a particularly troubled elementary school.