Sorry Mike,
I have to disagree with your wisdom here.
Utility regulation causes (like medicine) artificial control of supply. This in turn is bad for consumers. Anytime government dictates what lines will run in front of our house, we're in trouble. Look at telephone deregulation. Now consumers are getting a multitude of choices and prices are falling (thanks for the years of ripping me off Public Utilities Commission). How about cable... same story (I think Gore authored the bill). DSS comes and saves us, keeping the checks and balances. In short, without the PUC and Utility regulations, I think we'd have lower prices and more creative energy alternatives.
Funny when people want the best education for the kids, they send them to private schools (Catholic, Montessori, etc). Here teachers are paid less (I don't think there is a government reg. that says they must be certified) and yet kids get better educations.
In all industries, we need to have the McDonalds, and the Ruth's Chris . It's convenient to think we are better helping when we force redistribution, but it's just not the case. I've lived in France and it's just not so. Ask friends in Canada, or Sweden etc.
Now let's check out Hong Kong. Funny a communist country would recognize that one of the freeest markets in the world would be their crown jewel, preserve it.
Richard |
