Torygraph: electric cars will not save us...

[boisdevie]

Or the gov could purchase the solar panels and sell the power, reducing our taxes.

So the government would have to take tax money from you to buy solar panels and then reduce your taxes by selling you the power?
Given the track record of the UK government on major infrastructure projects (nuclear power, crossrail) I'd rather flush my money down the toilet - it's faster and the outcome is the same.

[vtsnowedin]

?
Given the track record of the UK government on major infrastructure projects (nuclear power, crossrail) I'd rather flush my money down the toilet - it's faster and the outcome is the same.

But think of all those government employees you would deprive of their useless but well paid employment.

[boisdevie]

?
Given the track record of the UK government on major infrastructure projects (nuclear power, crossrail) I'd rather flush my money down the toilet - it's faster and the outcome is the same.

But think of all those government employees you would deprive of their useless but well paid employment.

Visitor being shown round a big government office asks 'how many people work here'. The reply 'about half of them'.

[kenneal - lagger]

With regard to the monopolies which have been privatised, water supply, gas and electric supply, railways, health provision, these have no effective competition and so many of the problems of a government run supplier could be said to be endemic in the privatised one. There is no competitor to judge performance by so employees have no reason to work hard. They have no reason to offer a better service because there is no one to judge them against. As long as the company makes a profit the shareholders are happy so they only have to do that.

I am not saying that the companies should be nationalised because that system didn't work very well either but allowing shareholders to make a profit from a monopoly is wrong. We need to look for another way of working/ownership to give the customer an efficient, low cost service.

[vtsnowedin]

but allowing shareholders to make a profit from a monopoly is wrong.

I think you have to insert the word excessive in front of profit to make that true. There was nothing wrong with widows making their steady three percent off of their utility stocks and bonds when utility boards regulated the monopolies profits.

We need to look for another way of working/ownership to give the customer an efficient, low cost service.

The interstate highway system broke the monopoly of the railroads in freight and the automobile and air travel wiped out most passenger service.
What to use against the healthcare monopoly is a more difficult question. [/quote]