ColdFiltered
join:2005-01-25
Atlanta, GA
| reply to jljohn0605
Re: Taxes go up and we all get cheaper svc
Yeah, I have no doubt that the city property taxes will go up. The whole idea of government not competing is a joke. Its already been on the federal level so its no big surprise that the state and local levels want to make people believe they can do it for less AND not have consequences.
I also wonder how much of this is driven by the infrastructure-providers like Cisco, Lucent, Nortel, and others. And I would hate for someone making X as an IT professional to be displaced and wind up making 0.5X as a result.
When was the last time someone low on the civil-servent roster had a decent income? But this is ok. Lafayette can then offer welfare to help pay for that displaced workers cheap broadband. |
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NPGMBR
join:2001-03-28
Arlington, VA
1 edit | What you and the poster before you don't seem to realize is the simple fact that if the local government was able to build their system they could then sell that system to SBC and return the profit to the people by cutting taxes or improving other services.
But even better, the government could sell the system to a startup directly competing with SBC for your dollars.
The problem here is that the Telcos and CableCos totally object to any other company being able to get started in their territory without having to ride on their lines ..... why? Because it gives that company a fair chance to compete by building up their system and challenging the TelCos and CableCos without having to play by the TelCableCos rules. And of course that means the end of the TelCableCo regional monopoly control. |
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ColdFiltered
join:2005-01-25
Atlanta, GA
| For profit? When the heck has any government in the USA ever sold something it bought and made a profit on it? Seriously, do you think the city of Lafayette, or any other city, has more buying power than a Top 1000 corporation?
And then there is the technical aspects as well. What if your town goes with a platform completely different from what the company you wish to resell it to uses? If I had a company its going to be for profit. If its a publicly-traded company I am running, I have even more people to answer to.
And what is to keep the city commission/mayor/whatever from pocketing the money, make bad business decisions, etc.? What qualifications do they bring? What technical qualifications to they have? Sure, they can screw up and not get re-elected to office/board, but the damage is already done and everyone in that city pays for that usurped officials' mistake.
Just a couple of thoughts. Hey, I am more open (as a taxpayer) to a co-op company like my EMC electrical provider than a government entity. |
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NPGMBR
join:2001-03-28
Arlington, VA
1 edit | So by the nature that no government has ever bought something and sold it for a profit it will never happen? This is your basis for not even trying to bring a service to the people that the TelCableCos wont provide?
No I don't think Lafayette has the money to challenge the TelCableCos, but I do think that a legal challenge by the TelCableCos would not make it through the Supreme Court.
So now your saying local governments don't have the ability or expertise to build and operate such a system? Do you even realize how much work the fedeal government itself contracts out?
What really makes me so sick about this whole issue is that not two weeks ago I saw a news piece of a small town in southern Louisiana (my home state), that just received telephone service. Here in the United States the Bells are finally rolling that damd copper to every inch of the freakin bayou and you can bet you axx its not because they want to bring these communities into the 20th century.
Truth is, they're doing it because people like me see them for what they really are and they know we are fed up with their crap and were showing them by ditching our landlines. |
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zabes63
join:2003-04-05
Batavia, IL
| reply to ColdFiltered
said by ColdFiltered  :For profit? When the heck has any government in the USA ever sold something it bought and made a profit on it? Er..... Oh I don't know.. how bout the city of Lafeyette LA.?, as part of the Louisiana purchase. I'm pretty sure the U.S. Government got a really good deal on some land and sold of pieces of it that more than paid for the original purchase price, gave some away and kept big pieces of it.
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With a recovery like this... who needs a recession? | Tri-City Broadband |
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