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Path: utzoo!utcsri!utcs!mnetor!sophie
From: sophie@mnetor.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Nationalization/Crown Corps.
Message-ID: <1252@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 13:46:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: mnetor.1252
Posted: Wed Jul 10 13:46:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Jul-85 14:44:58 EDT
References: <1121@ubc-cs.UUCP> <1110@mnetor.UUCP> <1135@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Distribution: can
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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> Now let's look at some real scewups (not a complete list):
> [The following are all Crown Corporations]
> 
>                Return on
> Company        Capital              
> -------        ---------            
> CBC              -1.05
> ......
>
> J.B. Robinson

Wait a minute there!  CBC was never meant to be a profit-making
operation.  It is a service operation providing information, ideas,
entertainment to people.  I personnally am very happy that they are
losing money.  It means that they spend more time producing services
than selling them.  How can you compare the profits of a service
industry with that of regular industry?  Service means service to
people, not money (except reasonnable wages) to those providing it.  I
would be very suspicious of any service industry which registered a
profit that wasn't spent on providing more services because then they
wouldn't be providing as good a service as they could, thus, in my
opinion failing in their goal.

From what I have heard so far, CBC radio programs are also the most
professional, informative and intelligent in North America.  I don't
watch enough TV to know about CBC TV vs other networks.  Given the
cuts in CBC's budget, it is amazing that they are still managing to
produce such high-quality programs.  I am personnally very happy that
my taxes are contributing to the continuation of such a good service.

I really don't understand some of you posters on the net.  Isn't there
any other measure of worth than the mighty $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$?  what do
you think money is for in the first place?  to make more money?  the
original purpose of money was to serve as a standardised way to trade
services, yes services of human value.  This is what we do with CBC
or other service industries like hospitals (I guess I should say "we
should" since medical care now seems to be a business rather than a
service) or educational establishments.  These operations provide many
intangible benefits to society that can even be eventually translatable
in $$$$$$$$$$$, but do not have to be if they contribute to the overall
happiness of people.  

You can't take it with you, you know.....
-- 
Sophie Quigley
{allegra|decvax|ihnp4|linus|watmath}!utzoo!mnetor!sophie