Free Internet in San Francisco (15 years ago)

[Ben]

This is only one side of the story, but wow! I tend to believe what he says. Basically, this investor wanted to provide free Internet to all of San Francisco 15 years ago. San Fran politicians chased him out of town. Everything from political rivalries to telling him he wasn't doing enough unless he also included free laptops. Insane.

https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2021/03/28/wow-chris-saccas-thread-on-trying-to-give-san-francisco-free-internet-access-shows-just-how-jaw-droppingly-corrupt-their-leaders-are/

[WLJ]

Internet service is taxed, if it's free no tax. Of course they're going to find reasons to run him out of town, he was a threat to a cash cow

[kgbsquirrel]

Internet service is taxed, if it's free no tax. Of course they're going to find reasons to run him out of town, he was a threat to a cash cow

It is always about money.

[bedlamite]

It is always about money.

Sometimes it's about power.

[WLJ]

Money ---> Power
Power ---> Money

[just Warren]

In the 50s a company was willing to provide L.A. with a free monorail system, L.A. wouldn't have to do anything except allow it. The monorail company would keep all the fare money though.

The council turned them down.

There's also a few stories about parking meter companies wiling to provide meters for free to cities but they collect all the money until the meters are paid for plus a little bit and being turned down because the cities want the meters and the money.

[MechAg94]

I recall in the '90's, Rush talked about a company that developed paid automatic self cleaning toilets that cost a dollar or something.  This company was going to put them around NYC where apparently few public bathrooms are available.  The city shut that down.