@enkasongwriter As far as the delayed restoration of power, I am unsure why towns gave publicly traded fortune 500 companies their trust in the first place. I realize it goes back decades and that it's a complex issue that involves economies of scale. But why would towns turn their business over to big Fortune 500 companies when they can do it themselves? There are towns, like the one I live in, who run our own electric utilities. We are never out of power more than 4-5 hours while other towns nearby can be out for a week or two.
Whoever thought that the private sector could do it better than the public when the private sector has one goal, profit and their stock quote. Okay, so someone is going to tell me I've way oversimplified, but I shake my head every time I hear about some town that has to wait weeks for power when I don't hear about it happening in towns who own their own power. Couldn't towns take the job away from these private companies and band together and run their own power? If there is a power expert out there who can explain this to me, I'd be much obliged.
@jeanne-mayell I am more of a public-private partnership supporter, aka third-sector in Japan, where certain parts of operations are publically operated while others are private. For example, the local government owns the transportation system, owns the rolling stock, and controls the fares while a private company gets a contract to provide services, similar to the NICE bus in Nassau County, the Presbyterian hospital in Flushing and the MTR in Hong Kong. In Japan, the railway systems are efficient as the operators are private and the government regulates fares, which leads to the companies competing with each other and diversify. Competition allows consumers to have their own preferences and keeps prices lower for consumers.
There is competition in New Jersey, where private companies compete with NJ Transit. I have seen cases where the private companies have cheaper fares and operate more frequently than NJ Transit. The MTA subway used to be three competing companies and the buses used to be operated by various companies until the governments overtook the systems, which leads to inefficiencies and frequent price hikes.
"I got tired of my daughter's ethnic origin constantly questioned, my own as well,"
Enough said. Inexcusable! Its very similar to the constant homophobia expressed to those in our non-traditional sexual or gender identitified communities.
Racism and all those other "isms" polarize, separate and create chasms of fear and judgment rather than the love and acceptance of genuine spirit and faith based lives.
@melmystery A hearty welcome to the forum. I love what you wrote, even if I posted in ways that seem to contradict. Thank you for sharing the Druid perspective. I have this belief about trees that in some ways coincides with your belief. I sense that they feel us, and know us, and I talk to them and hear their ideas. I don't cut down trees without a really good reason, like they are dying and about to fall on my house. And I've felt that trees don't like hurting anyone unless that person is a tree killer. I also feel this way about the oceans, rivers and lakes.
@allyn I feel for you, the circumstances you find yourself in, and I know you are such a great warrior.
I was out for 25 hours. They are still people in my town who are still waiting. Some of them have wires down with trees. They can’t have anyone remove the trees until the wires go back up. People had to throw their food away. Never mind that PSEG texting to let them know you had an outage did not work. You couldn’t call them either. They got rid of LIPA because of the performance after Super Storm Sandy. Same crap different name. Still horrible service.
Did the White House just say they are considering ways to restrict entry on the US-Mexico border, including US citizens and lawful permanent residents over Covid-19 concerns????
@melmystery Welcome to our little group! Tickled to see another practitioner of Neo Druidic beliefs here ❤️
@allyn, I do not know your personal situation (work/finance etc.) or what is possible in the states, but I second (third?) the suggestions made on this forum: move away!
I spent years being very unhappy living near Amsterdam. My work was toxic, my personal life sucked and I missed nature with all my heart. When I decided to move back East I had nothing there. No friends, no family, no job... nothing, but my memories of childhood and a leap of faith.
However, I did it. Started with a house and the rest followed: pure bliss.
Life is too short to be unhappy/discontent. Don't let a toxic environment define you. It frazzles the soul.
@jessi1978 Now Gov. Cuomo threatens to revoke PSEG and ConEd's license.
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/pseg-cuomo-operating-license-1.47982333