How much oil can travel through a pipeline? It depends on the upon the pounds per square inch, dimensions of the pipeline, gravity, and dynamic pressure of the fluid behind the fluid you are measuring. In the Netherlands, they are using water pipelines to move data to a central point in then onto the Internet. The water pipelines now have more intrinsic value. They have the value that they have always had, providing the water remains of the same price plus the bandwidth possible by using this existing infrastructure to now move data.
If a water company owns the water pipelines, and leases out the same pipeline with water and it to a company that charges another customer, or even the same customer to move data, then the profit margin for that pipeline would be immense. Since the pipeline already pays for itself, and is already paid for. It costs hardly anything to add this new technology into the existing pipeline, then any profit made from the move and data would be merely a fraction of the cost of them pipeline. The pipeline could even be re-depreciated, since it now exists for a whole new enterprise that never existed, thus additional tax savings too. As Enron explored these types of synergies, they created whole new markets out to of thin air. Sounds good, as air has intrinsic value too, doesn't it?
WOW. Now, many people would find accounting irregularities with such an endeavor and then throw in the fact that back then Enron was the seventh-largest company in the world. Does anyone see the problem? It appears that a large corporate company that is public cannot be run on an entrepreneurial basis. To protect such a large company, it is then necessary to do things the old stodgy way; hire lawyers and pay off politicians. But if all companies run like this, then how can large companies produce new innovations and faster ways to make money and provide the shareholders with the quarterly profits to increase the stock price? And if large companies are paying off politicians then we already know the problem; wasn't it Adam Smith who warned us of such things? Wasn't Enron really partly the lawyers, accountants and politicians responsibility too? We are attacking Enron and yes some over their do deserve to be thrown in jail, but what about all those lawyers and accountants that were in on it? What about the politicians who allowed the lobbyists to pay them off with homosexual call boys, illegal recreational drugs and fine women? What about the jet charter flights, lavish parties and bribes and payoffs of politicians? We have a problem in America and it was not just three guys at Enron. Please? It was people up and down that food chain as well as those we entrusted to protect us? Why do we require transparency if those who are doing the accounting are in on it? Why do we allow Sarbaines, Oxley and other politicians who accepted contributions from Enron to make laws that hurt good companies and employ more accountants and lawyers than management or rank and file?
Most politicians are lawyers and all of them accept contributions from lawyers. If we are going to really clean up corporate America, we MUST clean up the government, homosexual call boys, call girls, lobbyists and Politicians first. Yes, we need reform, but that is not going to happen by picking Martha Stewart out of the crowd and making her an example. Washington DC thinks you are stupid folks, they think they are above the law. The are making Homeland Security laws to be enforced on citizens to protect their crooked asses in Washington DC. But that is the last place the International Terrorists would attack; the politicians are helping them destroy America. Think about it, because I have never seen so much double talk and bull in my entire life and folks; I just wash cars, surely you are smarter than me, look out the window, not on your TV.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs