[OT] Verizon/FairPoint sale

Bruce Dawson jbd at codemeta.com
Fri Nov 16 21:15:44 EST 2007


Bill McGonigle wrote:
> On Nov 16, 2007, at 11:13, Ed lawson wrote:
>
>   
>>> But everytime I hit a pothole and blow
>>> out a strut I wish there was some competition in roads.
>>>       
>> Curious how there would be competition in roads.
>>     
>
> Government (as local as possible) would contract out maintenance of  
> the roads to the most competitive business.  Market forces would  
> drive down the cost and improve the quality.  Ideally, in the case of  
> State roads, the states would blockgrant the funds to the towns the  
> roads' ran through so oversight of maintenance would be local.
>
>   
>> Regarding telcos, the one thing I seldom see discussed is the fact
>> years ago they got a huge tax break premised on the promise to  
>> create a
>> plant providing broadband that was as extensive as the existing copper
>> plant.  They reaped the windfall, did not deliver their end of the
>> bargain, and now they are..well we see don't we.  So the
>> taxpayer/customer gets to pay twice?
>>     
>
> Hey, it was only $200B of tax money:
>
>    http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070810_002683.html
>
> I wish I knew what _I_ could do about it.
>   
How about a massive class-action lawsuit - something akin to what the
Tobacco companies got? With mandatory payout to all "defrauded"
taxpayers. Plus interest. Plus treble damages if we could determine the
"fraud" was deliberate.

I doubt if it would get very far, but a few congressmen putting this in
front of the federal legislature should make the telcos take notice. Or
even if it got to the supreme court!

--Bruce


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