Isn't this what Americans fear...

[devilsadvocate]

There are a lot of turnpikes here. They charge different tolls for different stretches of the same road. The NTTA decided to take the "booths" away and have tags instead. Vehicles without tags get photographed on entry and exit and they send you a bill in the mail. They are not too efficient getting the bills out and often they arrive months later with an "administration charge" attached for late payment.

Definitely a case for nationalisation. IMO all national utuilities shoul;d be just that national otherwise you have dividend holders with too much control.

A small shopkeeper puts his customers first. A large company puts its shareholders first.

As far as I'm aware the NTTA is a state run concern, I think I could have been a LOT clearer why I responded. It was about having tolls.

http://www.ntta.org/AboutUs/Board/BoardOfDirectors.htm

From what I read in the past isn't there a government plan to change your freeways into toll? What about congestion charges? All on top of your outrageous gas tax.

[bigboab]

Definitely a case for nationalisation. IMO all national utuilities shoul;d be just that national otherwise you have dividend holders with too much control.

A small shopkeeper puts his customers first. A large company puts its shareholders first.

As far as I'm aware the NTTA is a state run concern, I think I could have been a LOT clearer why I responded. It was about having tolls.

http://www.ntta.org/AboutUs/Board/BoardOfDirectors.htm

From what I read in the past isn't there a government plan to change your freeways into toll? What about congestion charges? All on top of your outrageous gas tax.

I think they have congestion charges in London. Some bridges have tolls. Tolls were muted as a means for new construction. Remember our roads are about as wide as your parking spaces.

[l33tpirata13]

the whole premise of this thread is dumb. OP uses an example from ireland as if that holds any water. it doesnt. and the op's signature is one of the dumbest things i have heard. the reasoning is so off.....

now as far as privatizing government agencies and services, it doesnt work, take for instance us, in chicago, we just got our parking meters contracted to a private company. what do you think happened when that came to be? Meters wouldnt get fixed, prices quadrupled, and people are being ticketed unfairly. this is always what happens when you have a money making company taking over a municipal service. IT NEVER WORKS!!!

[j2k4]

the whole premise of this thread is dumb. OP uses an example from ireland as if that holds any water. it doesnt. and the op's signature is one of the dumbest things i have heard. the reasoning is so off.....

now as far as privatizing government agencies and services, it doesnt work, take for instance us, in chicago, we just got our parking meters contracted to a private company. what do you think happened when that came to be? Meters wouldnt get fixed, prices quadrupled, and people are being ticketed unfairly. this is always what happens when you have a money making company taking over a municipal service. IT NEVER WORKS!!!

Were you born yesterday at all.

I hate to burst your bubble, but, living in Chicago, you cannot claim to know the first thing about how a competitive market should work, because your entire milieu is totally corrupt.

Your parking meter cluster-fuck began with a 'bid' process, didn't it?

The kind of bid which is inserted into the back pocket of the mayor?

[clocker]

Since your original post was obviously a swipe a nationalized health care and given your status as a business owner (presumably charged with providing some sort of health plan for the employees), perhaps you'd like to regale us with examples of how well privatized health plans are working out for you.

[j2k4]

Since your original post was obviously a swipe a nationalized health care and given your status as a business owner (presumably charged with providing some sort of health plan for the employees), perhaps you'd like to regale us with examples of how well privatized health plans are working out for you.

A "swipe"?

I suppose.

Let us not lose sight of what followed my "swipe", however; a sorrowful lament that NHS, where it is practiced, has substantial financial troubles, troubles that are not preferable to our current situation, and which seem to be leading to privatization.

As to this-

"...given your status as a business owner (presumably charged with providing some sort of health plan for the employees)"...

-please provide a provenance of legitimacy for this presumption.

[bigboab]

Since your original post was obviously a swipe a nationalized health care and given your status as a business owner (presumably charged with providing some sort of health plan for the employees), perhaps you'd like to regale us with examples of how well privatized health plans are working out for you.

A "swipe"?

I suppose.

Let us not lose sight of what followed my "swipe", however; a sorrowful lament that NHS, where it is practiced, has substantial financial troubles, troubles that are not preferable to our current situation, and which seem to be leading to privatization.

As to this-

"...given your status as a business owner (presumably charged with providing some sort of health plan for the employees)"...

-please provide a provenance of legitimacy for this presumption.

One of the causes of substantial financial troubles of the NHS is the exorbitant charges made by drug firms. Maybe if we were to nationalise them we could move forward. All the other problems are caused by low paid, could not care less workers, employed by private firms doing the 'opted out' cleaning contracts etc.

It is not just in the NHS that these things are happening. The prison service has suffered the same treament caused by private contractors;

More prisoners escaping while being transferred. Prisoners not turning up to court because the contractor had 'misplaced' the paperwork etc.

I stay about 2 miles from a state of the art private cushy prison. We can hardly sleep most nights because of helicopters overhead searching for people who are trying to break in to the prison.

[j2k4]

Ah.

Well, I'm gonna charge my mouse.

Privately.

[clocker]

Let us not lose sight of what followed my "swipe", however; a sorrowful lament that NHS, where it is practiced, has substantial financial troubles, troubles that are not preferable to our current situation, and which seem to be leading to privatization.

I cannot imagine that an example of government failure would produce a "sorrowful lament" from you...deriding any and all government involvement is your bread and butter.

In a perfect example of your use of "squishy logic", you use Ireland as an example of all NHS attempts and their problems become emblematic of everyones.
Since nationalized health care is practiced in many states around the world, there are other, more successful programs to compare but of course, ones that work well don't interest you since they don't support your point.
Before you ask, I'd offer up Singapore as one example.

Furthermore, it's obvious that any solution that is not 100% perfect doesn't interest you...better the devil you know (and are comfortable exploiting) than the devil you don't.
This is a completely predictable conservative response to anything and pretty much ensures that nothing ever gets done...if the chance of failure exists, you aren't gonna risk it.
Maintaining the status quo is the is the conservative Holy Grail...because "America, fuck yeah!".

[j2k4]

Hmm.

Didn't I bring up Singapore as a positive example recently.

And wasn't I derided for doing so...by you, among others.