The government passage of a bill forcing airlines to let passengers off the plane after three hours is a step in the right direction. The weak excuse that it will create more delays is ironic.-how much more delayed can one get?
America has become the land of extortion-
complain about banks playing with your money by charging overdraft fees on the largest amounts first, or credit card companies jacking up your interest rate, "just because" and they will threaten to raise rates all around-claiming, "Well, if we have to follow laws that protect consumers the consumers will just have to pay more for the practices"
Credit card companies? "Well, if we have to play fair, we'll just charge the consumer more"
Services which can hold us hostage used to be regulated-
airlines, banks, credit cards, utilities, water, communications-
The argument for deregulation -then? Oh, deregulation will create all kinds of competition and the consumer can only benefit- resulting in lower prices and more choice.
When one can be held against their will for 7, 10 or even 24 hours on an airplane, when hard earned public dollars are literally stolen from bank accounts in the bankers little shell games, when consumers are charged exorbitant amounts for electric in a little town of Vero Beach, Fl. because the city government passed a little known ordinance to double the cost of utilities for those living directly outside the 17 mile city limit, with no choice to change, we can all see what deregulation has done for the consumer.
Since US companies and businesses choose to treat consumers like mindless cash cows, disregard any imperative but the dollar sign, and use the opportunity of deregulation to monopolize instead of compete,
the time to regulate is here.
It is time business recognizes their value is only commensurate to the value of those they service, and not the other way around..
