Home
>
Political
>
Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures

Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures

Public utilities and a problematic issue on the allowance of profits. We all know that if you are only allowed to make 15 percent profit as in the case of Utilities Companies then why not spend more money so you can make 15 percent go up. For instance if you make $100 which are only allowed to keep 15, that you make two hundred dollars, then you get to keep 30. A utility is a quasi government agency in that it has no competition; it is regulated by government. It is a forced monopoly, so monopolies are fine as long as the government says so, yet very inefficient and to that end when you take an inefficient business model whether it is steel or energy and throw it into a deregulated ring where strong survive, you learn real quick just how inefficient and out of shape it is. Companies, which become or are labeled monopolies by government, yet got there through fierce competition are much different than companies, which are monopolies which were in fact created by the government.

Microsoft through consumer voting by their dollars, became best of the breed and the ultimate in efficiency. Customers perceived their products and services superior. Microsoft coupled this with brilliant strategic planning and that does it. They owned the market because we voted for them, then all of a sudden it was then illegal. If you look at any government agency you will see that each year they spend more money right up into the maximum of their budget. If they spend a little more than their budget, then next year they can have a little more money. This is the exact opposite of General Electric, GM, 3M, IBM or even Mars M and M's which live or die on their abilities. General Electric each year tries to bring down cost. Governments on the other hand try to spend more money every year trying to get bigger. Government's number one job is to protect her people, but it appears governments number one job over the last century is to get bigger with more bureaucracy. If you have a utility company that operates that way, then there is significant waste, yet it is encouraged by government, because it is modeled after a government agency, a system without competition; a flawed system.

Any business, which goes from a monopolistic-quasi-government-style to a free enterprise operating company overnight, is sure to wreak havoc. Both for its customer-citizen base and the company-agency itself as we saw as the CA energy giant went into BK. What is interesting is that we now look back in hindsight and say, "well maybe deregulation is not good for utilities?" That is nuts, of course it is good.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs

cleaning help near Highland Park ...

In The News:

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.

Understand how technology affects mental health through five concepts, including blue light exposure, screen time management and algorithmic bias.

Electric vehicle maker Lucid adds hands-free driving through an over-the-air update for Air sedan owners with the DreamDrive Pro package and Gravity SUV support coming later.

Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures

Political