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From: molly@killer.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.unix.wizards,comp.os.misc
Subject: Re: Who owns Unix(tm)?...
Message-ID: <1461@killer.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Sep-87 00:30:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1461
Posted: Thu Sep  3 00:30:28 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Sep-87 09:55:31 EDT
References: <1665@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM> <8381@utzoo.UUCP> <797@Pescadero.ARPA> <2303@xanth.UUCP>
Organization: The Unix(tm) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 38
Keywords: stockholder ownership private enterprise
Xref: utgpu comp.arch:1935 comp.unix.wizards:3749 comp.os.misc:128
Summary: The only difference between a monopoly and a regular company is ...

In article <2303@xanth.UUCP>, kent@xanth.UUCP (Kent Paul Dolan) writes:
> In article <1272@houdi.UUCP> marty1@houdi.UUCP (M.BRILLIANT) writes:
> >
> >A private enterprise operating as a regulated monopoly is not a public
> >enterprise, but an alternative to public enterprise.
>
> 	In
> 	fact, no matter how poorly managed, regulated monopolies
> 	have historically been guaranteed a specific level of return
> 	on investment, typically in the region of 15%.
> 

I think Kent got that wrong.  A regulated monopoly is not an alternative to a
public enterprise, it is an alternative to total chaos.  Could you imagine how
things would be if every company had telephone lines strung all across America?

A regulated monopoly is a deal between a private company and the public by
which the public gets a service at a price they agree to (that's what public
service commisions are for, along with their publicly elected/appointed
commisioners) and the company gets to make money.

Many companies have rates of return greater than 15%, especially ones in the
technology sectors.  What do you think Apple's rate of return is/was?  A
regulated monopoly has to listen not only to the stockholders, but on top of
them, has a collection of public utilities regulators to keep happy.

No one ever divested a company the size of AT&T.  What would you rather have,
MCI and Sprint, or $600 Unix tapes?

Molly.
--
The preceeding has been an unpaid political statement.  I use AT&T because I
can't stand the sound of all those pins dropping in the background.
-- 
       Molly Fredericks       UUCP: { any place real }!ihnp4!killer!molly
    Disclaimer:  Neither me, nor my cat, had anything to do with any of this
  "I love giving my cat a bath, except for all those hairs I get on my tongue"
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