I agree.. We no longer have a free market, we have corrupted monopolies and corporations.

Let's hope that deregulating (as they did with internet providers and phone services) happens soon!

Thanks, S!!

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There is one and only one reason for this, CORRUPTION. Being protected against competition by law is very, very profitable. Utility firms lobby and make “campaign” contributions, and all the other ways politicians get swayed to favor one provider over another, in order to get statutes passed to prevent competition.

Excuses are endless, from the obviously false, “Oh, it’s just too expensive to run utilities”, to the obviously self-serving, “Oh, but if we don’t require the utility to run to your home, your home wouldn’t have the service!”

Not all utilities are mandated monopolies everywhere, and where those legal monopolies are not enforced prices to consumers are lower because of competition.

Unfortunately, the monopolists have used psychology to convince useful idiots and do-gooders that they just have to have those legal monopolies, for everybody’s good!

All those monopolies do is protect vested interests from competition, raise prices for consumers, enrich politicians, and prevent innovation.