this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2024
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[–] Stern@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago (2 children)

To a limited extent I can understand charging folks something. On the offhand chance you need to use the grid for power (or heck, to put power into it.), the grid needs to be functional, which takes repairs and maintenance, which takes money. That said, forcing to pay for lost profits is ridiculous.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 39 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yup.

However, let me suggest a radical idea:

Any service that has infrastructure requirements like this, such that there's a mandatory "base fee" under the usage fee, should be nationalized, and the base fee paid be taxes. Every, and any, service. Water. Sewage. Electricity. Internet. Roads. Any basic need provided, that requires infrastructure that would incur a monthly maintenance fee. De-privatize it.

This would be my litmus law for nationalizing services.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Natural monopoly is the term you're looking for I believe, though I think you're going a smidge further then the definition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_monopoly

[–] sxan@midwest.social 8 points 11 months ago

Works for me.

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago

I'd be more amenable to fees if the companies were actually forced to maintain their infrastructure and if the government wasn't already giving them all big handouts. That comment about nationalizing all of them makes a bunch of sense to me.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 23 points 11 months ago

We live in a corporatocracy.

[–] RagingHungryPanda@lemm.ee 17 points 11 months ago

Ah, Louisiana, first you charge people $800 energy bills then you complain that you can't make it more efficient. Capitalism is doing great.

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Too many utilities are incorrectly billing fixed distribution costs on their per-kilowatt hour rate. Where I live, distribution is just over half the cost of electricity, but it is still mostly billed per kilowatt hour, when really those costs are nearly completely fixed.

[–] MyOpinion@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

Sounds about right for Louisiana.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Double repost:

https://futurology.today/post/2001065

https://futurology.today/post/2009533

Not sure why this one has more comments than the previous ones.

[–] voidx 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

We had a technical issue that impacted the federation with other instances. It's resolved now so there's more visibility.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Ah, that would explain it. Thanks!

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

FREEDOM! Enjoy those PROFITS you SOCIALIST COMMIES IN BLUE STATES!