[PLUG] Re: Unwire Portland public meeting tomorrow

Jeme A Brelin jeme at brelin.net
Thu Jul 28 02:07:12 UTC 2005


On Wed, 27 Jul 2005, Randal L. Schwartz wrote:
> The economics of providing a private net once a "free" service is 
> offered subsidized by public funds won't let that fly.
>
> Imagine me trying to construct a private toll road that paralleled 
> Sunset Highway.  Even if I could get approval from the city, why would 
> people *pay* to take my road when Sunset Highway already exists?
>
> I'd have to offer something that was *clearly* a premium, and that's 
> just not going to be economically feasible.

Um, why not?  You seem to be so afraid that the city's network will have 
terrible limitations.  Doesn't that imply that a private company could 
EASILY offer something that is clearly a premium?

> Hence, this is a bad idea.  *All* public-works projects for "city wide" 
> nets are a bad idea.  At least, in a republican-driven world.

Portland isn't Republican-driven.  Playing defense all the time won't do 
anything to improve our offense.

By creating public structures that are superior, we easily undermine the 
(largely unsupportable) reigning dogma that private industry is "the way 
to go".

J.
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      Jeme A Brelin
     jeme at brelin.net
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