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[Phillip Rhodes <mindcrime AT cpphacker.co.uk>]

Thomas Beckett wrote:
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> Phillip Rhodes wrote:
> > Let the telecom companies compete
> > on their own merits... if citizens in rural areas want to voluntarily
> > fund improvements to their infrastructure in order to attract
> > businesses, that's fine... but why not let them form a voluntarily
> > funded, non-profit coop in order to do it.
>
> And if citizens in a municipality find that the telcoms are not meeting
> their needs, should the not be able to provide those services
> collectively through their municipal government?  

I suppose if 100% of the population wanted it, your argument
would have some merit.  I don't find that particularly likely however.
Assuming for the moment that there are people who disagree; 
involuntarily collecting taxes for this (or anything else, but that's 
another issue) is a violation of their rights.

A voluntarily funded cooperative, which no power to force participation
is a much better solution as anybody who doesn't want to participate is
free to opt out.

> Why should the General
> Assembly enact a law that /prohibits/ competition?

Because the proper role of government is to protect our rights.  This 
bill works (in a limited way, granted) to protect the rights of people
who don't want their money taken away and used to fund telecom 
infrastructure.

A GA bill to prohibit private competition would be a different matter.


TTYL,


Phil
--
http://www.linkedin.com/in/philliprhodes

And when the people complained, it
displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard
it; and his anger was kindled; and the
fire of the LORD burnt among them, and
consumed them that were in the uttermost
parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1
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