GAO On Broadband: Please Listen To Us. For Once. Please.

Simple Answer

Gov't and clear goals don't belong in the same sentence

Actually, they "belong" in the same sentence... they just never seem to make there together. But, that's politics for you:

govt = politics = waste

Pity we can't get what we're payin' for: actual representation.

Such Republican political talking points. Keep in mind that Corporate = profit -> worse than waste because they take as much extras as they can at your expense.

It's not about politics, it's about waste.

reply to SLD
Republican vs. Democrat = two sides of the same coin. Companies are in business to make money... duh. Our representatives are "supposed" to represent our interests--"our" as in "we the people". Of course, if they were ever to do that, I'm sure half the population would faint from the shock.

reply to SLD
you have a choice though:
You're not forced to do business with anyone...Except the Gov't.

I can't see why making a profit = evil
If I am selling something, I want the highest price I can get for it. Does that make me evil?
If I am buying something I want to pay the least amount I can for it. Does that make me evil?

reply to SLD

reply to SLD

reply to SLD
Except corporations earn their money, they don't steal it by Federal mandate just to set it on fire in corrupt waste-filled bullcrap.

Just look at oil, with all the screaming that goes on about Exxon profits, government makes 6X the "profit" off a gallon of gas than Exxon does. Exxon makes about $0.10/gal profit per gallon and when you sell as much product as they do it equates to insane amounts of profit, in the tens of billions of dollars.

BUT, the Federal government excise tax is $0.184/gal plus there is state excise tax, sales tax etc. In California for example, while Exxon makes their hefty $0.10 per gallon, government makes $0.639/gal. »www.californiagasprices.com/Tax_Info.aspx So when evil corporate Exxon makes $10B, the goverment rakes in well over $60B. When evil Exxon makes $40B, the government rakes in well over $240B.

PLUS government gets to tax Exxon on those billions in profit and they tax the crap out of everyone who works at Exxon (in the U.S.)...even more insane government profit off Exxon's efforts. Meanwhile government didn't do a damn thing for it except endlessly vilify them.
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POKE 65495,1

reply to mrkevin
It's not that profit is evil. It's the lying that people do to get it, and get more of it, that's evil. It's that whole "money is the root of all evil" thing. Those who seek it go to the places where they can get it.

reply to wifi4milez
No, I'm just pointing out that when someone claims that Gov't is just plain wasteful, the other option is to hire a company to do the same job. When the Gov't does it, there may be waste, but not necessarily. When a company does it, much more cost will be extracted from the citizens because a profit *must* be earned. And typically, gov't waste is a pittance compared to corporate profits earned on our backs. This is particularly inherent is gov't backed monopolies like communications.

reply to Bit00
Uhhh... the cost of gas going from $1.75 to over $4 a gallon was not Gov't profit. That was legalized theft from the corporate sector - the same sector that is getting socialized bailouts.

reply to Linklist
And your source for this statements comes from??? Hannity?

reply to wifi4milez
Did I imply that?

reply to mod_wastrel
Yep.

reply to SLD
Wrong. It was supply and demand. Increased demand from China and India put pressure on a limited resource along with speculators and it was OPEC and other petro-nations that got the biggest money...funding idiots like Hugo Chavez.

Exxon got their money from the pure volume of purchases and government got theirs by theft.

And given that sales tax (8.75% here in Cali) is on the price of the gas, the more expensive the gas got, the more insane profits the government made on it. The California sales tax alone eclipses the profits Exxon makes on the gas in this state.

In fact when prices started to drop, Sacramento pissed and moaned, wanting to raise the excise tax to compensate for the drop in obscene sales tax revenues that they had reaped and quickly wasted.
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POKE 65495,1

Oh, sorry, you're right. China and India went out and found their own supply - that's why the price went down. NOT!
If you understood how the futures market (and other trading) works, you'd understand that the cost was a result of artificial demand. Why do you think the cost dropped by 50% in 1 month - right around the threats of investigation?

Enron's stock jockies did the same thing in CA. They went down for it.

reply to SLD

But I didn't say that companies should give away their goods/services for free? Did I?
It is worse for the citizen because they are paying more for the same thing. But companies have a right to earn a profit. If I can get health care as an option from the gov't for less because no profit, I'll appreciate that option.