I would suggest that, in the case of Internet infrastructure, the difference is that we have a fairly robust, viable private sector. We had the same in the days of the REA; the problem was that, for large chunks of the country, the cost-benefit analysis (or cost-profit, if you will) was not strong enough to get those private sector players out into the boonies. We see that today, even in cases such as UPS/FedEx; there are still chunks of the country that don’t get guaranteed “next-day service,” right?

It’s interesting to note that I’m a boundary case where Internet access is concerned. I have DSL, and could switch to cable modem if I so chose; if I lived one mile away, however, neither would be available to me. (I live in a small town, but within 12 minutes of a city with a population of 250,000; don’t think I live out in the proverbial sticks.) There is room to expand which the private sector isn’t willing to tackle; why not see what else can be done, especially for something as potentially gamechanging (in terms of employment) as Internet access?

My general point is simple. Let’s debate actual proposals, instead of just firing off the “NATIONALIZATION!” cannon at first blush. (By way of comparison, where’s the hue and cry about Gov. Schwarzeneggar’s statement that it’s time to study the possible legalization of marijuana?) I’m fine with study groups or feasibility studies, but I’m not going to raise the red flags until I see recommendations or proposed legislation; there’s no point in it.

There’s a very good reason that this model won’t be followed, and it’s known as the Obama Administration.

Do you really think the same administration that’s taken control of GM, Chrysler, and a number of major banks will completely change its mode of operation to take a hands-off approach here? I kind of doubt it.

Consider the question rural electrification, which took off with the New Deal’s REA (Rural Electrification Program). The REA didn’t bother with urban areas, because the private sector had those well in hand; instead, the REA went after those areas which, for whatever reason, were left unpowered by the private sector. After establishing the infrastructure, the government turned things over to what became known, in most places, as RECCs–Rural Electric Cooperative Corporations–which are owned by their members and receive no government funding whatsoever. We secured our electric service from an RECC for most of my youth; our service was inexpensive, and we received dividend checks for more than a decade after we left the service area, thanks to efficient local management.

The same holds true for the telephone utilities. People seem to think that everyone in the US is served by some piece of the former Bell System, but there are thousands of RTCs (Rural Telephone Cooperatives) operating today. Same business model, same local ownership, same lack of government involvement after the initial startup.

While we’re at it, the general use of the “public utility” equates with “regulated by the states’ Public Utility Commissions.” All of my utilities are currently provided by the private sector, all of them operate under licenses granted by my local government, and all of them are regulated by the state Public Utility Commission. (I note, thanks to a quick Google, that firms such as Reuters and NASDAQ refer to the “public utility subsidiaries” of companies such as AEP.)

There’s no reason that the development/enhancement of Internet infrastructure cannot follow the same model as that used by the RECCs and RTCs in the past, with government sponsorship of infrastructure followed by handoff to a locally-owned corporation.

Until we see some concrete proposals, I suggest that talk of “nationalization” in this context is premature at best, and fear-mongering at worst.

I keep hoping this is all a bad dream and I will wake up to an America I can recognize.

Until about 18 months ago, USPS did not even offer International Priority shipping into Italy. Why? I have been told that it is because most Italian postal employees treat stealing as one of the perks of their jobs. They see a package from America, and think, hmmmm…… do I keep this or deliver it?

Apparently it has gotten a bit better, but not much.

USPS International Express, while more expensive, is a great deal more reliable. That’s because once the parcel or envelope leaves the US, it goes to a third-party service — such as FedEx or DHL or a local courier service. This makes the package much more “trackable” (a relative term). International Prioirty, OTOH, goes into the host country’s postal service.

Be thankful your package arrived at all! I will bet you, if you had a way to check, that your package actually got to Rome within 48 hours. Most International Priority packages leave the USA within one business day. But at the other end — they have to go through the terminal nation’s customs, then into their postal system. That’s the Black Hole.

Since that time, the government has been largely hands-off on the evolution of ARPANET into the internet, while it’s maintained a virtual monopoly on space operations.

So what do we have to show for forty years of these different approaches to technology development? Well, the internet now has and estimated more than 600 million computers and is, as this whole discussion shows, it’s become a part of everyday life. Today, NASA’s finally admitting that the Shuttle’s been an unmitigated disaster, and they’re in the process of planning to get back to the moon in another ten years or so.

No, I don’t think that letting the Obama administration take over the internet would be a good idea. But then again, I don’t think it would be a good idea to have the government take over the banks, car makers, insurance industry, financial capital, health care, energy…

Well, you get the idea.

The only real advantage to giving the government control of internet transport would be giving the government control of internet content. I suppose to the Obamabots, this sounds like heaven on earth, but there IS still an outside chance that the Party of the Voting Dead won’t be able to retain rule control of the government forever, so you might want to be careful what you wish for.

By the way, I personally suspect that the sewer systems would probably work better if the operatoins were privatized.

That’s what you get when you patronize not one, but two national monopolies.

Yes, the fact that Kohler and American Standard make innovative toilets is clear proof that we should privatize the sewer systems.

But I also use alternate carriers like FedEx and UPS. And let me tell you, there is no comparison. (IMO, FedEx has them all beat hands down.)

If all you need to do is slap a stamp on an envelope and have it get there in a week or so, USPS is fine. Their priority mail service is also reasonably priced. But there is no tracking; there is no back-up for their stated delivery times.

In other words, you want something, such as a document, to go across country in two to three business days. USPS has that service. You pay @ $5 for it, rather than 40-some cents for a letter.

But if your document doesn’t arrive on time, too bad. They make no guarantees. And although purchase of “delivery confirmation” will tell you if priority mail item has been delivered, it will not track the progress along the way, nor show to whom it was actually delivered.

There is no way, as with UPS or FedEx, to correct a package address in transit. No way to give any special delivery instructions. No way to contact the actual deliverer to find out where an item might have been left when the recipient tells you that they didn’t receive the item.

So when it works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, it’s a disaster.

Insurance claims take 6 to 8 weeks, versus 2 weeks at FedEx. Yes, FedEx costs a bit more — but there is tracking all along the way; there is the ability to redirect in progress; and there is a way to get to the actual delivery driver for information.

There are no live bodies to get on the phone either, unlike FedEx and even UPS. No one will call you back; you’ll be lucky if they answer your email with a form letter.

(And for merchants, the financial risk of charge-backs and lost packages is growing with USPS.)

USPS is also hurting because of the lack of direct mail (i.e., advertising circulars and other junk mail) due to advertising cutbacks during the recession. And finally, there is our propensity to make payments online rather than writing a check. I personally write only one check a month; everything else is auto pay or pay online — and I’d not write the one I do if I had an alternative, as I surely will before too much longer.

Compare that to 20 years ago, when I must have mailed at least 20 checks every month personally — and even more for business.

In terms of receiving money, businesses can use credit cards, wire transfers, and even services like PayPal. Individuals have similar methods. Why risk a check in the mail? Why accept that much delay?

Then there are ecards instead of snailmail greeting cards…. you get the idea.

USPS, to its credit, has done a lot in recent years to change with the times. There’s Click-N-Ship, which allows businesses and individuals to select services, print labels, and pay for postage online. There’s the new machines in most POs that allow one to do something similar. There’s the standard supplies that are free of charge for priority and express mail — boxes, tape, labels, letter-size envelopes.

My company does probably 70% of its shipping through USPS now, versus 90% as recently as 3 years ago. But higher client expectations and better service from FedEx has changed our mix and will continue to do so. As for our “regular mail”, email has rendered that almost non-existent.

In short, USPS faces a shrinking market with quickly changing customer needs — and that’s difficult for the best-run companies. For a bureaucracy with union entrenchment, it’s well-nigh impossible.

Where do you live? I nominate your local post master for Post Master General!

Unless I’m sending a check, whatever I don’t do with e-mail, I send by UPS or FedEx (and honestly, how often do we write checks anymore?).

I was not surprised by everything he told me BUT he was

In fact, I haven’t had a problem with it my whole life.