Utility monopoly
Several years ago we had occasion to spend four months in Houston, where we sublet a condo.
Before moving in, the Realtor handed us a list of power companies to choose from. I was astounded. Coming from Florida, I didn’t know such a thing was possible. I always thought there was one power company, and that was that.
But we were able to contract an electric service based on recommendations for service, price and reliability — factors that have no relevance to a monopoly.
At the very least, if we are going to have a monopoly we should not allow it to contribute to political campaigns, and essentially set our power policy, or spend our payments on ad campaigns for a product that we have no choice but to buy.
Susan Kahn, Coral Gables
This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Utility monopoly."