Soulless monopolies that work

Hereabouts we’re in the throes of (gasp!) being able to choose our energy company. Now most of the public info and rhetoric is about as clear as tar, i.e. drenched in PR, techo-speak and carefully crafted statistics.

Now I’m all in favor of competition and choice, but as a hapless consumer I just want the godamned service to work. To my tired mind, it seems like every time a service is “simplified” it gets more aggravating. Telephone service, airlines, etc. got opened up and commensurately less usable.

I don’t want to think I’m a sheep-like twit who prefers fascist simplicity to the responsiblities of choice, but this is a drag. Besides, it was so much more fun to watch Lily Tomlin tweak the giant’s nose than research all the crap and hoopla behind endless upstarts, opportunists and wannabes.

Okay, I’m tired but am I the only craven idiot in this?

Veb

Actually, phone and power monopolies worked just fine for many years. The change was less to benefit the consumer than it was to make profits for the competitors. My phone bill is much more than it was before they allowed competition (even allowing for inflation) and I wouldn’t doubt that I end up paying more for electrical power once competition is added.


“What we have here is failure to communicate.” – Strother Martin, anticipating the Internet.

www.sff.net/people/rothman

The infinite wisdom of government has just opened the power market up here as well. On the one hand, Northeast Utilities responded by dropping power prices across the board in anticipation of consumer ‘choice’, which makes you wonder about the efficacy of all these Public Utilities Commissions that have been “looking out for the little guy”.

On the other hand, the government hasn’t moved to buy up any of the power plants that suddenly went on the market either, which makes you wonder just what kind of power they’re worried about.
Dr. Watson
“I had an aunt in Yucatan
Who bought a Python from a man
and kept it for a pet.” – Hilaire Belloc