All utilities in the US should be nationalized and maintained by the US Government that creates all the new $s it needs by spending them into the economy. Unlike state and local governments, and as the sole issuer of the $USD, the US Government has no need of an income to spend.
I agree. Utilities should be nationalized. Everyone deserves water in order to live--therefore, it should be available to all, on a sliding scale based on their income so everyone has water and heat in the winter and electricity to run fans and a/c in the summer.
I understand your sentiment, but there's no need for our currency issuing Government to charge anyone anything. As the sole creator of all US dollars the Government has no use for a profit motive.
we are rapidly catching up to many "third world" countries when it comes to water quality. I can't complain too much since I personally sprayed thousands of gallons of PFOS around the planet during my 27 years as a firefighter. It's now over 20 years since I last touched it and I'm still carrying over 15,000 ppt of PFOS in my blood. I've had my cancerous thyroid removed, hashimotos, and have high cholesterol that is not controlled naturally.
Thank you so much, Erin, for ALL your efforts to get the word out and put it in our legislators' faces.
No question these water and sewer systems need modernizing. But that need obscures predatory acquisition and pricing practices. In NJ and Pennsylvania, water corporations are powerful. Towns are convinced to sell w/s systems and often are offered huge upfront payments. They get inflated estimates of the needed capital improvements. The catch: upfront payments are recouped in rates. The capital improvement costs buyers suggest the system needs may be exaggerated. The corporate utility makes its profit on capital work. The incentive works against keeping these costs low or seeking operational improvements that would cost less. Recent example: a corporate buyer promising $9 million in capital work for a system that needs about $2.5 million.
All utilities in the US should be nationalized and maintained by the US Government that creates all the new $s it needs by spending them into the economy. Unlike state and local governments, and as the sole issuer of the $USD, the US Government has no need of an income to spend.
I agree. Utilities should be nationalized. Everyone deserves water in order to live--therefore, it should be available to all, on a sliding scale based on their income so everyone has water and heat in the winter and electricity to run fans and a/c in the summer.
I understand your sentiment, but there's no need for our currency issuing Government to charge anyone anything. As the sole creator of all US dollars the Government has no use for a profit motive.
Stolen
we are rapidly catching up to many "third world" countries when it comes to water quality. I can't complain too much since I personally sprayed thousands of gallons of PFOS around the planet during my 27 years as a firefighter. It's now over 20 years since I last touched it and I'm still carrying over 15,000 ppt of PFOS in my blood. I've had my cancerous thyroid removed, hashimotos, and have high cholesterol that is not controlled naturally.
Thank you so much, Erin, for ALL your efforts to get the word out and put it in our legislators' faces.
No question these water and sewer systems need modernizing. But that need obscures predatory acquisition and pricing practices. In NJ and Pennsylvania, water corporations are powerful. Towns are convinced to sell w/s systems and often are offered huge upfront payments. They get inflated estimates of the needed capital improvements. The catch: upfront payments are recouped in rates. The capital improvement costs buyers suggest the system needs may be exaggerated. The corporate utility makes its profit on capital work. The incentive works against keeping these costs low or seeking operational improvements that would cost less. Recent example: a corporate buyer promising $9 million in capital work for a system that needs about $2.5 million.