Tennessee Valley Authority Privatization Act

[12th Doctor]

I am for privitization... but auctioning it off... no.  We can do this in a far more responsable fashion, I think.

[12th Doctor]

Can any of you just point out what is wrong with auctioning off, instead of simply saying "it is horrible because i think so".
Personally, I think expecting irrealistic benefits offered by buyars is much more irrealistic, just look at Russia.

Well. what's wrong with it is that there is no telling who will buy, and what they will do with it.  I am all for privatizing it, but only on the condition that we are responsable for who ends up with it, and that determination is made by a seletion process that assures certain standards of quality, rather than just giving it away to Joe Billionaire.

[12th Doctor]

This isn't lie privitizing the post office.  People's homes, lives and livelyhoods are a stake, here.

[12th Doctor]

Well. what's wrong with it is that there is no telling who will buy, and what they will do with it.  I am all for privatizing it, but only on the condition that we are responsable for who ends up with it, and that determination is made by a seletion process that assures certain standards of quality, rather than just giving it away to Joe Billionaire.

Why would anyone spend billions of dollars to buy the TVA, and then intentionally misuse it? Such an eventuality is extremely remote and unlikely.

Remember that this authority will end up costing about $50 billion. No single person will be able to purchase it. Rather, it will be sold (auctioned) to a group of investors. This is no different from a company's Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Yes, I am well aware of the mechanics of such a deal.  However, an investment won't mean that abuses will not take place, if we do not set guidelines.  If one of these dams breaks, and 50,000 people are dead, and Chattanooga is under 20 ft of water, I don't think too man people are going to care about who gets to sue whom.

[12th Doctor]

If one of these dams breaks, and 50,000 people are dead, and Chattanooga is under 20 ft of water, I don't think too man people are going to care about who gets to sue whom.

With all due respect, that seems like a rather irrational fear. Why will selling the TVA to anyone lead to the destruction of a dam? Frankly, the likelihood that a private company will waste billions of dollars is much lower than the likelihood that the government will waste billions of dollars.

Okay, let me get right to the point...

We need to find a group that is trust worthy and willing to buy, and then make sure that they follow certain standards of safety and are willing to put the money and effort into the upkeep and repair of their facilities.

[12th Doctor]

If it takes time to find a responsable group that is willing to invest, so be it.  Better to take the time to do it right, now, instead of wishing that we had not been so foolish a 10 years down the road.

[12th Doctor]

I urge all my fellow Senators to vote Aye on the amendments, simply because this is going to pass no matter what, I feel, so we might as well get the best deal we can.

[12th Doctor]

This legislation is an absolute abomination.

While I am with the Sneate on privatizing the TVA... as I think privitization of similar networks has been a possitive step in PA and we do need to eliminate the deficit... I think it should be done so on our terms and not just left up to the whims of investors or some corperation.

[12th Doctor]

Personally... and I know you are all going to love this suggestion... I would seel the whole thing to Halliburton.  They are pretty much the only company in the world that can shoulder the costs for this thing, and know how to opperate it.