Speaking of Corporate Perfidy

Avedon brought this up this morning, and after yesterday's post I figure it needs to be noted:  Telecom providers are trying to prevent or restrict municipal wi-fi in the states, even where they are explicitly not planning to offer services.

This is the paragraph that got me:

Private providers are arguing that municipal networks create unfair competition, forcing them to lower their rates because municipalities have the ability to offer rates below cost. Even if true, we are left to wonder why this is a concern in areas where the providers themselves have said they do not plan to do business. According to a post on Ars Technica yesterday, Charter Communications in Minnesota has done this and apparently so quickly that they put hand written fliers in residents mailboxes.

In other words, it's only fair competition if only cable companies are involved. Mm-hmmmm.  And what do cable companies do once they're the only game in town?  Mmmm-hmmmmm.

Theodore Roosevelt is spinning in his grave, as are the 19th century progressive reformers and "Fighting Bob" La Follette.  (Some more Republicans erased from the party history...)