Stop privatising infrastructure you maniacs.
this post was submitted on 21 May 2024
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United Kingdom
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Stop? Do you think it's continuing? They already are private ☺️.
What you should be saying is: Ask the government to raise billions to buy out private companies that own and operate the vital infrastructure of our country you maniacs!
Not being funny, but this is what you're calling for (nothing wrong with that) but what are you going to not fund whilst you spend money on this. Even Labour has pretty much said this isn't going to happen for this very reason.
Fine them a billion pounds per kilo of sewage dumped, then seize all their assets when they refuse to pay their debt.
That's actually not a bad idea. Although I would imagine passing regulation like this would be difficult, even with a change in government. 😔
Why should they assume nationalising them means paying them?
How else is the government going to nationalise the assets?
Fining the shit out of them for their many many environmental breaches. Then when they're bankrupt, re-nationalise them for cheap.
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Nah, just get the government to send in the army to seize the assets and infrastructure. At this point in time, these companies are the enemy of the people, and what else is the army for, then to protect its people from enemies
So essentially, what happened is billions (probably 100's at this point) of public money have been handed to private individuals and everyone is left in the shit, literally.
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Nationalise the lot of them. They had their chance.
Their chance to do what...? This was always about handing them a gravy train.
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Ofwat should only allow this on the provision that executives bonuses are removed, shareholders don’t receive any dividends for the next decade and the current heads of the water companies have to be dragged through a river every week.
I've previously advocated for the the first 1000L of any sewage runoff to be directed through executive's houses.
Now that is a nice idea, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that just forces them into their holiday homes abroad.
Isn’t there a church somewhere that still has a ducking stool? I’ve had an idea. Wonder if they’ll rent it out.
If they leave the country, we can assign a man with a portable bucket of sewage.
We will have no issues finding such a man: Most of Thames Water's customers would pay for the privilege.
As one of those people, I’m very happy to volunteer. Or maybe we make it compulsory like jury duty.
I currently live in Scotland, but I could do with a vacation to follow a rich cunt round with a bucket of sewage
problem is then that shareholders will pull their money and invest elsewhere leaving the taxpayer to pick up the pieces. clever privatisations always leave the public purse to bail out any losses 😒
the solution: don’t privatise in the first place. it’s like selling all your shit at a pawn shop
Water companies have been heavily criticised for widespread leaks and the amount of sewage being discharged, which critics have blamed on under-investment in the country's infrastructure.
...
Southern Water is owned by Australian firm Macquarie which has faced fierce criticism for the period when it was Thames Water’s biggest shareholder.
In five of the 10 years it owned Thames, the company paid out more in dividends than it made in profits, while debt rose from £2.5bn to over £10bn in the same period.
"Mum, I need money to repair my bike."
"We gave you money to repair your bike."
"Oh I spent it on sweets for me and my mates."
If it was a real private market they'd let the firm fail and the investors would take a haircut. Then either someone who could turn a profit while running a decent/affordable service would take over; or the govt would.
We're stuck in the worst of both worlds where it's a privatised monopoly which is unable to fail.
Exactly correct. We need to let them all fail.
Then goodbye every UK resident's pension that are invested in the water companies.
That's why they're "too big to fail". You let them fail, you'll throw people who are about 40 to 50 years old into further reliance on the state pension.
Better to prosecute the C-level executives and take the company back into public ownership.
I've pondered on this a bit.
Maybe the funds that thought it was appropriate to put for-profit public utilities in a pension fund should be the responsible parties, along with the water company executives they put in position to facilitate the asset stripping.
That's something I'd like to see. Never going to happen in the UK.
In the 2008 financial crisis, I think Iceland was the only country to jail their irresponsible bankers.
A proper pension is diversified. They don't invest entirely in one sector of business.
Unless you'll managing your own pension in which case that's your fault.
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Here's a fun thought - push a law through demanding a minimal level of service with forced nationalisation at the cost of the shareholders if it isn't met (government pays share price, but proceeds go towards settling company debt first rather than being paid out to shareholders).
Give them a way to fail that doesn't hurt the people who rely on the services, and punish running up unsustainable debt in one joyous law.
Water firms can get in the fucking sea.
Hasn't enough toxic waste been dumped in there already?
Maybe they would enjoy experiencing it first hand.
Privatise profit socialise loss
Ah good, so my bill will rise and then my landlord will up the rents to cover whatever water shit she has to pay too. Brill. Love this Cuntry.
JuSt BuY a HoUsE
I have a house and for some reason they still make me pay water bills. Madness.
Also now the poor quality décor is my fault. I'm not into it.
Meanwhile, here in Scotland - where the water supply has always been publicly owned - Scottish Water announced it had received permission for an 8.8% annual increase.
Up next the air and the Sun... peasant you gonna pay for fucking shitting here soon too... per each use 😜
Final stage: you pay some money changer for the right to sleep with your wife!
Up next the air and the Sun…
Don't give them ideas!
Just out of curiosity: the article states finite amounts to pay each year. Do you Brits pay one sub or do you pay for consumption (eg per Liter)?
Both. Some households, usually in older buildings, pay 'water rates' based on the size of their property. Others, including all newly built homes, have water meters which report usage back to the company. We pay for supply of clean water as well as transportation and processing of surface water run-off and sewage.
Also note that in Scotland and Northern Ireland there are no water charges, the utilities are publicly owned.
That's not quite true, water charges are part of your council tax. You get a discount if you have a septic tank because then dealing with the waste water is your responsibility.
But you pay a flat rate based on your property's estimated value in 1991.
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How do you go bankrupt selling a life essential that falls out of the sky for free?
Just stumbled upon this:
Academic calls for upgrade to sewage systems to protect health
The risk to public health from human faeces in our [UK] rivers and seas will increase without action to create a wastewater system fit for the future, according to Professor Barbara Evans, Leeds’ Professor of Public Health Engineering at the University of Leeds.
The report [led by Professor Evans]says collective action by industry, government, public bodies and the general public is required. It makes 15 recommendations, including: review current bathing water regulations; prioritise maintenance of the existing sewage network; return to collecting widespread data on faecal bacteria; develop a long-term strategy for better designing cities to reduce flooding, and the appointment of a dedicated wastewater champion.
Here is the report (pdf).
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