CNN Poll: "Would you pay higher taxes for the Electrical Grid?"

[BiggJawn]

Uh, what? Higher taxes to "beef up" the Grid?

Why should the taxpayers have to take the bullet for Industry's program of non-maintenance? Not every electric company is a public-owned utility. Here in Indiana, the 2 largest, NIPSCO and IPL are investor-owned. Just like good, ReTHUGlican Capitalists, aren't they? Go to the Public Trough for help when their own short-sightedness comes home to roost...Who does Co-Ed think they are, American Airlines?

Shouldn't the INVESTORS bear the expense of upgrades to the physical plant? I know, how stupid, why cut into the dividend you pay your skittish investors when you can gouge the customers...

Wouldn't it be great if we could be like utility companys?
"Hey, Boss, I noticed gasoline went up another nickel overnight, you know what that means..."

"OK, I'll put in for a $2 increase for you this week. Will that cover it? and while we're on the subject, did you get enough of a salary increase the last time coffee went up?"

[Q]

1. How about a different question?

- Would you pay lower taxes if the energy companies took less of a profit?

[gristy]

2. how about this question:

Would you be in favor of re-regulating electric utilities if it resulted in improved service and reduced electricity costs?

[Deja Q]

4. Ditto for cable service!

Or has cable spun so wildly out of control since it was deregulated.

Hmmm.,.. let's see. Deregulation happens. Service and quality goes down. Prices skyrocket. New fees are incorporated. Somehow all of this is seen as a success so they want to deregulate everything else.

Can you hear the giant toilet which is America flushing?!

[donco6]

5. Only if it were PERMANENT

Otherwise, they get the benefit of all this capital investment from taxpayers, then they "throw off the yoke" again and go on their merry profitable way.

[havocmom]

9. Ding Ding Ding

we have a winner!

[Deja Q]

3. Link?

If it's public controlled, then there's more RESPONSIBILITY, control, maintenance, and concern.

If you hadn't noticed, the private companies only give a fuck about PROFITS and THE BOTTOM LINE. Salaries and maintenance are kept as minimal as possible.

In a year or so we'll see the effect of Bush's privitzation of all sorts of once government-ran projects.

And electronic voting? Privately held and outsourced, look where that's getting us. Not even a paper trail; the crooks can do what they please and not get caught. That sickens me to the very core and makes me hate the "people" responsible for this atrocity even more!!!

Damn right I'm a socialist. Seems to be more sensible!

[donco6]

6. I'm seeing a lot more news about the non-receipt . . .

issue on the voting machines. I think our raising the alarm is having some impact in this issue.

[cosmicdot]

7. at the bottom of www.cnn.com

Would you be willing to pay increased taxes to improve the power grid?

Yes 64% 65861 votes

No 36% 37614 votes

Total: 103475 votes

is the psyop study of human behavior providing the desired results?

[cosmicdot]

8. coupled with NeoconWolf Blitzkrieg's poll

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Do you think your community is prepared for a prolonged blackout?

Yes 50% 1896 votes
No 50% 1893 votes
Total: 3789 votes

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/wolf.blitzer.reports/

[LizW]

10. Only if the tax increase goes hand-in-hand with re-regulation (n/t)

[realFedUp]

11. Let them put solar on my roof first

I am ready for a windmill in the backyard, solar on
my roof and a bomb shelter under the house.

[kentuck]

12. No. I want to see Repubs live in the dark.

No tax increases. We have a government that's too big already. <sarcasm off>

[MiltonLeBerle]

13. Absolutely Not.

"The Grid" will be obsolete in the future, when each house will have their own fuel cells to generate their own power.
If The Government is going to invest, let them invest into research to further that technology.

As for the grid- the privately owned, unregulated electric company investors should foot the bills to fix their own equipment.

[LEFTofLEFT]

14. Socialize the cost - privitatize the profits

and throw in a nice big tax break

We must fight the rightwing monsters like the future is at stake.

[cosmicdot]

15. "fight the rightwing monsters like the future is at stake"

... and, it is ...