Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!pyrnj!rutgers!columbia!garfield!fox
From: fox@garfield (David Fox)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Networks, who pays
Message-ID: <6023@columbia.edu>
Date: 17 Nov 88 00:40:43 GMT
References: <8811141443.AA06499@lll-crg.llnl.gov> <2231@ficc.uu.net>
Sender: news@columbia.edu
Reply-To: fox@garfield.UUCP (David Fox)
Organization: Columbia University CS Department
Lines: 31

In article <2231@ficc.uu.net> jeffd@ficc.uu.net (jeff daiell) writes:

>  Utilities should be free-market, too...

Here is my understanding of the functioning of a libertarian society:

Suppose I and others decide we want a sewer system, but you decide you
don't.  We spend a great deal of extra money to build this sewer
system, due to the fact that you won't let us install pipes under your
lawn so we have to take a long detour around.  Years later, you come
over to one of our houses, receive a demonstration of a toilet, and
come to the decision that you would now like a sewer system.
 
The marginal cost of hooking into our sewer system is now very low.
However, you have wasted a great deal of *our* money by your lack of
foresight.  So we decide to charge you, in addition to the marginal
cost, a fee of $1,000,000.
 
You find yourself unable to pay this, so you forgo the sewer system.
But soon we find ourselves unable to tolerate the smell coming from
your house.  What now?  There is no law against the smell; we are
unwilling to pay the price of putting a dome with a catalytic
converter over your home; and you are unable to repay your debt to our
sewage project.  Clearly we no choice but to force you to leave.
   
So how do we do that?

(Donning my asbestos suit)

David Fox
fox@cs.columbia.edu