[OT] Verizon/FairPoint sale (was: Comcast!?!?)

[Bill McGonigle]

On Nov 17, 2007, at 09:06, Jerry Feldman wrote:

> This would not work. First, most of the highway contracts are bid out.

Around here it's state or local government.

> Secondly, by localizing highways, you will get some really great roads
> connected to some really awful roads.

If the state is block-granting state highway maintenance to towns and  
some are not using it for that, then there is corruption to be weeded  
out - easiest at the local level!

> Look at the way some local
> governments handle sewer and water.  The problem is how a government
> contracts out the maintenance. It all comes down to competitive bids.
> The lowest qualified bidder wins. But, that bidder may simply do the
> minimum.

If the minimum isn't sufficient the contract wasn't properly written.

> Trash collection is
> another one to look at. In some communities, trash is collected by the
> city, in others it is contracted out to companies like BFI or Waste
> Management, in others it is privatized where the consumer buys  
> specially
> trash containers that are picked up by the appropriate collector. One
> benefit of city or town trash collection is that the cost is in your
> taxes which are deductible.

Interesting point on deductibility!  You don't really want the cost  
completely embedded in your taxes because then people throw away  
everything recklessly and it drives up prices.   I'm on the committee  
which establishes our town's model - we went with taxed pick-up ($3/ 
house/week for trash and recycling) and per-lb. pre-payment (stored  
value stickers) for tipping - this encourages recycling and keeps  
costs low.

-Bill

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