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1135 points carride | 49 comments | | HN request time: 0.733s | source | bottom
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qwe----3 ◴[] No.32411651[source]
> over $30,000 for each of those homes to get served

This doesn't seem very efficient to me.

replies(13): >>32411670 #>>32411682 #>>32411693 #>>32411775 #>>32411831 #>>32411955 #>>32412075 #>>32412123 #>>32412258 #>>32413016 #>>32413760 #>>32414638 #>>32420670 #
1. fourthark ◴[] No.32411831[source]
At $55/mo, he'll start making a profit in 45 years.
replies(1): >>32411957 #
2. TrueGeek ◴[] No.32411957[source]
From the article: he had $2.6MM in help from the "American Rescue Plan's Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds".

He's being paid by the government to bring Internet access to homes in the state that aren't currently wired for it.

replies(2): >>32412037 #>>32412153 #
3. qwe----3 ◴[] No.32412037[source]
That bill and these types of projects are basically why we have 10% inflation now.
replies(5): >>32412105 #>>32412142 #>>32412152 #>>32412155 #>>32412376 #
4. lambdas ◴[] No.32412105{3}[source]
Damn, this project is even hurting me in the UK then because we're also at 10%. Curse you Jared.
5. cgeier ◴[] No.32412142{3}[source]
How does spending a lot of government money make goods and service more expensive?

EDIT: At least here in Western Europe, we mostly have a supply side inflation, because energy got a lot more expensive, not because the government has been "printing" a lot of money. I suspect it's the same in the US.

replies(3): >>32412664 #>>32412665 #>>32414478 #
6. LetsGetTechnicl ◴[] No.32412152{3}[source]
Inflation isn't at 10% but it seems like investing in infrastructure is a good idea. If we needed to pinch pennies we could start at the bloated military budget
replies(1): >>32412343 #
7. Bloating ◴[] No.32412153[source]
Gotta pay your fair share, so it can be granted out for someone elses gain
replies(4): >>32412273 #>>32412388 #>>32412564 #>>32415129 #
8. kombucha13 ◴[] No.32412155{3}[source]
That doesn't make any sense.
9. beeboop ◴[] No.32412273{3}[source]
Are you also concerned about your tax dollars paying for roads in the next neighborhood over?
replies(1): >>32412574 #
10. _wolfie_ ◴[] No.32412343{4}[source]
Right, in the middle of war with Russia and with war with China on the horizon. Great idea.
replies(3): >>32412716 #>>32413063 #>>32414026 #
11. Tostino ◴[] No.32412376{3}[source]
Yeah I'm sure this is the exact US "government waste" driving the global inflation right now.
12. xavxav ◴[] No.32412388{3}[source]
Today you help finance someone’s fiber, tomorrow they help finance your hospital/fire dept/etc, that’s the whole idea of public works.
replies(1): >>32412627 #
13. mmastrac ◴[] No.32412564{3}[source]
This is literally how societies function - you contribute a small amount to the general pool, you use small amounts from the general pool. In some cases bigger chunks go for bigger works like ISPs or bridges. I certainly hope you don't want a world where every road, bridge and traffic light is independently owned.
replies(2): >>32412728 #>>32416787 #
14. Bloating ◴[] No.32412574{4}[source]
The neighborhood developer paid for that. The roads connecting, donated many many years ago by the landowners at that time
replies(2): >>32413057 #>>32415150 #
15. Bloating ◴[] No.32412627{4}[source]
Sounds more like how crony politics for personal gain works. Alternatively, you could finance the hospital, fire depart, or whatever without an middle man siphoning off "their fair share"
replies(4): >>32412775 #>>32412892 #>>32415020 #>>32415131 #
16. failrate ◴[] No.32412664{4}[source]
It does not unless that money is spent competing with businesses and citizens for resources. However, in this case the money had already been earmarked for rural internet service and is not being used to purchase goods and services that citizens would be buying instead.
17. pwinnski ◴[] No.32412665{4}[source]
Yes, inflation is currently a world-wide issue, and explanations at the world level lead somewhat obviously to the pandemic and Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.

But here in the USA, people like to believe it must be political and local, completely unrelated to the totally-coincidental worldwide issue that happens to be very similar.

replies(1): >>32412827 #
18. themoonisachees ◴[] No.32412716{5}[source]
The US aren't at war with Russia.

Sure, they're helping an ally in a De facto war against Russia, but currently the us spends more on "defense" than both Russia and China combined, when it is technically at peace. In case of a war with China, are you expecting the military budget to not increase at all?

replies(1): >>32416784 #
19. Bloating ◴[] No.32412728{4}[source]
Well, there is a lot of legal graft in society
replies(2): >>32413234 #>>32415111 #
20. reaperducer ◴[] No.32412775{5}[source]
Alternatively, you could finance the hospital, fire depart, or whatever without an middle man siphoning off "their fair share"

This has already been tried. People used to subscribe to fire service, or ambulance service. It doesn't work, and is also bad for society.

If you want people to only use the things they directly pay for, and not pay for shared things through taxes, then only drive on your own driveway. Don't drive on any roads outside of your cul-de-sac. Don't get your Amazon order delivered on state and federally-funded highways. Don't fly out of any big airport in America. Don't fly on any commercial airline, since they have all received taxpayer bailouts in the past. Don't use a bank. Don't use money. Hire a security guard to protect your property, and another one to follow you around every day. Get your water from a well on your own property.

For an 88-day-old account to be this stunningly obtuse, I'm going with "troll," rather than "genuinely completely oblivious to how the world works."

replies(2): >>32416739 #>>32418565 #
21. Bloating ◴[] No.32412827{5}[source]
>But, here in the USA people like to believe it must be political...

Cool, whats your prognoses for effectiveness of the Reduce Inflation Act

replies(1): >>32412924 #
22. pentae ◴[] No.32412892{5}[source]
So if you want to see this theory in action go to developing countries with an elite ruling class where they don't disperse funds to social works and see how nice it is, behold their lame GDP, etc.

The country I live in SE Asia is a good example. It's quite libertarian out here and yeah being able to pay for private hospitals is nice, but generally speaking your quality of life is lower, quality of goods is lower, average person is less educated, traffic is a crippling problem due to poor planning, it goes on and on. And despite labor being super cheap, roads are a mess, sidewalks are few and far between and if you do get one it's crowded with junk.. Only 10% of the country pays taxes, the inequality with the rich is massive, and if you're not in the top 1% you're basically a poor.

I recommend everyone in a rich english speaking country spending at least a year or two living in a developing country to get some perspective

23. pwinnski ◴[] No.32412924{6}[source]
I'm in favor of the bill, but the name is stupid, even misleading. The spending is largely good, but it won't have much effect on inflation, if any.
24. bell-cot ◴[] No.32413057{5}[source]
Ah! - so the next neighborhood over has all-private roads, and the homeowners association there (not the government) pays for all snow plowing, crack & pothole patching, repaving, storm sewer work, etc. that might be needed?
replies(2): >>32414885 #>>32415499 #
25. LetsGetTechnicl ◴[] No.32413063{5}[source]
Wars we've provoked/are provoking but that's not a discussion relevant to the original submission
26. westpfelia ◴[] No.32413234{5}[source]
Dont drive on roads I guess? Would hate to be apart of graft.
replies(1): >>32414109 #
27. vaidhy ◴[] No.32414026{5}[source]
When is the time US has not been at war? Maybe, we are inverting cause and effect here.. US is always at war because the budget allows for it?
replies(1): >>32414941 #
28. gowld ◴[] No.32414109{6}[source]
That's a good idea. Personal cars are a graft paid by the rest of society.
29. h1fra ◴[] No.32414478{4}[source]
Actually Europe has been printing a lot of money by having less than 0% interest rate for loan. Current inflation is due to many factor, some estimate it has been slowly growing since 2008, plus covid where we printed money to just to keep business alive, plus negative interest rate that allowed countries to loan too much, etc...

But I suspect that subsidies for infrastructure is one of the least impactful factor for inflation.

30. hcurtiss ◴[] No.32414885{6}[source]
I get the point you're making, but to the facts, that is quite literally how many subdivisions work, and least in the western US.
replies(1): >>32415294 #
31. 2Gkashmiri ◴[] No.32414941{6}[source]
Say it this way. Tomorrow if the american security /defence budget was cut to 0, do you think the rest of the world will storm/attack Americans because they have an eternal blood thirst for them? Don't they have their own problems to deal with?

This is the problem with mitary and security infra of any country. They keep the bogeyman alive because their paychecks depend on it.

replies(1): >>32416802 #
32. thelamest ◴[] No.32415020{5}[source]
Coordination games and public goods games (which arguably model insurance) work best when people don’t adversely self-select, but coordinate around the social optimum (for insurance, when the risk pool is as large as possible). Whatever can orchestrate such coordination adds value. If people do it on their own, great, but some problems have characteristics like time horizons such that the coordination doesn’t happen without an authority. Yes, this brings in other public choice problems, but the trade-off is not necessarily bad.
33. amazingman ◴[] No.32415111{5}[source]
What exactly are you advocating as an alternative? Leaving the unserved homes unserved?
replies(1): >>32419902 #
34. duncan-donuts ◴[] No.32415129{3}[source]
This is also why USPS is crucial for rural areas. The Government should be subsidizing this work because if they don't people in rural areas are left behind.
35. amazingman ◴[] No.32415131{5}[source]
In this case the "middle man" is literally doing the work. Money doesn't build things. It goes to entities so that they can build things. I suspect you know this, but it _seems_ like you don't.
36. amazingman ◴[] No.32415150{5}[source]
Good thing roads are permanently in working condition!
37. bell-cot ◴[] No.32415294{7}[source]
In my corner of Michigan, there seems to be a very clear dichotomy on this:

- Private developer builds a sprawling subdivision with plenty of nice wide roads and lots. (So a very large area of pavement per tax-paying property.) And turns the whole thing over to the city/village/township, to be their public road budget black hole forever more.

- Private developer builds a very compact little development, with houses (or condo's) packed in like sardines along a rather narrow and minimalist Private Road.

38. sophacles ◴[] No.32415499{6}[source]
Ah yes, the HOA. A group of elected people that can compel you to do things with your property, require you to pay a share every year or they take your home, and have the ability to fine you if you don't comply with the majority opinion. Very much not a government in any way!
39. thfuran ◴[] No.32416739{6}[source]
What does account age have to do with any of this?
40. Thetawaves ◴[] No.32416784{6}[source]
How do you stay at peace? A strong deterrence.
replies(1): >>32418569 #
41. DavidAdams ◴[] No.32416787{4}[source]
Yeah, wait until you find out that some of your tax dollars go to pay for bridges you never use or to bomb people who never personally insulted you.
42. Thetawaves ◴[] No.32416802{7}[source]
This is literally exactly what would happen. It need not be blood thirst motivation; simple profit dynamics are enough to ensure this outcome.
replies(1): >>32421969 #
43. Ancapistani ◴[] No.32418565{6}[source]
> People used to subscribe to fire service, or ambulance service. It doesn't work, and is also bad for society.

That's interesting - FEMA says that 70% of the fire departments in the US are all-volunteer, and >90% have a volunteer component.

https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/registry/summary#g

I've lived in areas with volunteer fire departments that paid for their operations primarily with "fire dues" for most of my life. As far as I know, most volunteer departments operate like that.

I had no idea they didn't work. I wonder if anyone has told them?

replies(1): >>32428014 #
44. pessimizer ◴[] No.32418569{7}[source]
The US has the strongest deterrence in the history of the world, and it's constantly at war.
45. 6figurelenins ◴[] No.32419902{6}[source]
"If you object to the government making shoes, he'll accuse you of making everyone go barefoot."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-fo...

46. 2Gkashmiri ◴[] No.32421969{8}[source]
keep on dreaming
replies(1): >>32435653 #
47. reaperducer ◴[] No.32428014{7}[source]
Subscription fire departments and volunteer fire departments aren't the same thing. I know all about volunteer fire departments, and have worked with them in the past.

Subscription fire departments were commercial entities, sometimes run by insurance companies, to which you paid a regular subscription fee. If you house was on fire, they'd extinguish the flames. If your neighbor's house was on fire, and they didn't subscribe, then they let it burn.

Citing a completely different thing does not refute what I wrote. It just illustrates that you don't fully understand the issue.

replies(1): >>32435337 #
48. Ancapistani ◴[] No.32435337{8}[source]
That’s literally how it works in much of the rural South. You pay fire dues, or they will only act to save human life. Otherwise they’ll watch your house burn to the ground with you.
49. Thetawaves ◴[] No.32435653{9}[source]
Good thing you will never find out.