Your "Deregulation is Total Bunk" Moment

How are things going down in Texas where they opened up the electric utilities to private "competition" (the quotes signify the myth of the word)? According to today's Houston Chronicle:

Texas power rates have increased 56 percent since 2000, and the state’s electricity is among the most expensive in the country despite promises prices would go down when the state opened electric power to competition.

So much for promises that privatization naturally leads to lower prices. They are grand theories without much basis in reality.

Closer to home, we've got some current Council Members who have, in the past, argued for privatizing Nashville's utilities. At-Large Council Member Charlie Tygard once argued:

We need to start looking toward the private utility districts who are able to provide these services at better rates, better services than what Metro is now.

Looks like Mr. Tygard makes promises similar to those Texas Republicans who sold their constituents a bill of goods, if not down the river.

Mr. Tygard was just appointed to the Council's Audit Committee for a couple of years, which means that he can root around Metro Departments for data to justify selling government services to private interests, who in turn fund local political campaigns every 4 years.

What a sweet take, unless you are one of the many who stand to be took.