A Commie Utopia with total Gov't Control

[TheTrevor]

SATIRE WARNING (because some people have poorly calibrated satire detectors...)

I'll just leave this here:

http://dailycurrant.com/2014/02/08/m...dead-in-sochi/

Apparently this went viral and a bunch of folks, unsurprisingly, believed it simply because it plays so expertly into many stereotypes of Russia.

[Tamara]

SATIRE WARNING (because some people have poorly calibrated satire detectors...)

I'll just leave this here:

http://dailycurrant.com/2014/02/08/m...dead-in-sochi/

Apparently this went viral and a bunch of folks, unsurprisingly, believed it simply because it plays so expertly into many stereotypes of Russia.

Obviously satire. Polonium poisoning doesn't cause stab wounds.

[David S.]

This is different from the little bits I've been seeing on NBC. Other the the snowflake issue, all is good in Mother Russia. Short reports extolling the wonder and beauty of Siberia and the Kremlin. And Putin seems pretty charming....

[cclaxton]

Well, last time I checked Russia isn't Communist anymore, although arguably totalitarian under Putin. I think this is more a statement of Totalitarianism...not to say Communism was any better.

I don't know anyone, even at the Washington Post...who wants that here...if anything, Journalists are appreciating American Capitalism right now. And, by the way, it's government that keeps the water clean and plentiful in America....government is still good for many things.
Cody

[_JD_]

????

In xxxxxx Russia you don't kitten in a hotel, the hotel kittens you?

Sent via Tapatalk and still using real words.

[RoyGBiv]

Well, last time I checked Russia isn't Communist anymore, although arguably totalitarian under Putin. I think this is more a statement of Totalitarianism...not to say Communism was any better.

Semantics.

And, by the way, it's government that keeps the water clean and plentiful in America....government is still good for many things.
Cody

Right.
Government establishing standards? Ok..
Government owning and operating utilities?.... If you're not 1000% certain that a privatized utility wouldn't do it better for less cost, I'm not going to argue with you.

3 words.... Air Traffic Control

[cclaxton]

Semantics.


Right.
Government establishing standards? Ok..
Government owning and operating utilities?.... If you're not 1000% certain that a privatized utility wouldn't do it better for less cost, I'm not going to argue with you.

3 words.... Air Traffic Control

In practice I have seen excellent service from Fairfax County Water and Sewer. But this is anecdotal and can't be expanded beyond my own experience. Constituents here complain a lot more about roads and traffic than they do about water and electricity and gas.

The current theory on public utilities is that there is no perfect system to efficiently run utilities without ossification in the long term. The current data suggests that regime change from government owned to privately-owned but regulated, OR, from privately-owned back to government-owned actually is the best long term solution. The data suggests that over time the institutions(public or private) become ossified and more corrupted with private companies focusing on profits and sacrificing quality and pacifying regulators, or in the case of government run, entrenched bureaucracies become too close to politicians and become self-serving money-pits, and employees become less motivated to work efficiently. When regime change occurs, it forces changes in the status quo and reduces, if not eliminates, the ossifying and corrupting factors. However, over time the institutions begin to suffer from ossification and the only way to fix it is to force another regime change. This can take decades or just a few years, depending on the local influences and politics at play.

Totally unregulated water has never worked without creating a monopoly and sacrificing quality. One of the main reasons that public-owned utilities remain the prevailing model is the importance communities place on the quality of the water. Where water quality becomes poor, politicians will be forced by constituencies to fix the problem. They only have a few tools to fix the problem: regulatory or public-ownership.
Cody

[RoyGBiv]

In practice I have seen excellent service from Fairfax County Water and Sewer. But this is anecdotal and can't be expanded beyond my own experience. Constituents here complain a lot more about roads and traffic than they do about water and electricity and gas.

The current theory on public utilities is that there is no perfect system to efficiently run utilities without ossification in the long term. The current data suggests that regime change from government owned to privately-owned but regulated, OR, from privately-owned back to government-owned actually is the best long term solution. The data suggests that over time the institutions(public or private) become ossified and more corrupted with private companies focusing on profits and sacrificing quality and pacifying regulators, or in the case of government run, entrenched bureaucracies become too close to politicians and become self-serving money-pits, and employees become less motivated to work efficiently. When regime change occurs, it forces changes in the status quo and reduces, if not eliminates, the ossifying and corrupting factors. However, over time the institutions begin to suffer from ossification and the only way to fix it is to force another regime change. This can take decades or just a few years, depending on the local influences and politics at play.

Totally unregulated water has never worked without creating a monopoly and sacrificing quality. One of the main reasons that public-owned utilities remain the prevailing model is the importance communities place on the quality of the water. Where water quality becomes poor, politicians will be forced by constituencies to fix the problem. They only have a few tools to fix the problem: regulatory or public-ownership.
Cody

Just because a government entity can do it well doesn't mean it can't be done better for less.
Think bigger.... Think consolidation on a more regional (or bigger) scale. Think sanitation.

Using your water example, there's no reason at all that "ACME Standard Sewer & Water" would not be able to produce a safer effluent, more cost effectively than my locally operated water treatment plant. How long does it take a new best practice to reach Podunk County Sewer? When's the last time Elmer and Roy got any training on current best practices and equipment used for sampling? How about a class on securing the water supply in a post 9-11 world? I've delivered training (analytical Chemistry) to those guys.... They report up to the plant manager (appointed) and he to the City Manager (also appointed).

[Suvorov]

Semantics.


Right.
Government establishing standards? Ok..
Government owning and operating utilities?.... If you're not 1000% certain that a privatized utility wouldn't do it better for less cost, I'm not going to argue with you.

3 words.... Air Traffic Control

I'm no fan of oversized government but I do believe that a well run government utility can do a better job in some areas than the private sector.

I strongly believe that the US ATC system, like our Interstate System are shining examples of government done right by providing an infrastructure that fosters industry.

As a very regular customer of the US air traffic control system I will say that they do an outstanding job overall. Furthermore the fact that the US has a nationalized ATC system has allowed us to foster a general aviation industry that simply does not exist in any other country in the world.

Nations in Europe that have privatized ATC have virtually no general aviation in large part due to the exorbitant prices that operators must pay to operate within the system.

There is no argument that our Management system is relying on some out dated equipment. Next Gen ATC is beginning to be fielded and should improve things quite a bit. It is simply impossible to compare our ATC system with any other nation's government or private ATC system as no other nation can manage even a fraction of the air traffic that the US ATC system handles.

Obviously there is a roll for some government utilities without us becoming a monstrous example of inefficiency that is the former Soviet Union.

[RoyGBiv]

^^^ Governments role should be to define and maintain a clear, level and safe playing field. With only a very few exceptions ("Provide for the Common Defense, and such). The only time the government should be in the business of "doing" is when there is great need and no other entity capable. (gross generalization alert!)

YMMV.