[opendtv] Monthly Bill Fatigue
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "OpenDTV (E-mail)" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 19:47:25 -0400
This sort of complaining just makes me chuckle. Like
drivers of Ford Expeditions, or the like, whining
about the supposedly high price of gasoline.
How can someone claim that satellite radio is a
"necessity," *especially* for trips between DC
and NYC or Phildelphia, with a huge assortment of
FM stations to choose from, without turning crimson
with embarrassment? That's what we should be
wondering. "Feel pity for me, I just MUST
indulge myself, you see."
Bert
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Monthly Bill Fatigue
Service Add-Ons Nibble at Incomes
By Christopher Stern
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 10, 2004; Page F01
Satellite radio. Cell phone. High-speed Internet service. Matt
Botwin, a Washington consultant, has it all -- and the bills
that go with his growing bundle of technology.
With each new service, more of Botwin's monthly income is
spoken for. A generation ago, mortgages, utilities and
newspaper subscriptions made up a short list of payments due
each month. Now Americans pay an average of 12 bills a month,
including fees for a broad range of services such as
television programming, home security-system monitoring and
online gaming Web sites. And each individual bill may increase
as consumers add incremental improvements such as Internet
access to their cell phones and premium channels to their
satellite radio service.
Botwin figures that he spends at least $250 a month on his
subscription services. "I'm not happy about it. It's a lot,"
Botwin said. But he also feels that his digital devices and
services are necessities. The Sirius satellite radio is
indispensable for his frequent drives to New York and
Philadelphia. "It's like any luxury. I didn't think I needed
a microwave [oven], but I'm sure glad I have it now."
Economists and academics are beginning to grow concerned about
Americans' willingness to cede a regular chunk of their
monthly paychecks to new conveniences and services, saying it
is taking a serious bite out of discretionary spending, a key
driver of the nation's economy. They also worry that new
services are contributing to a growing divide between
consumers who have the means to secure special treatment, such
as access to free-rolling highway lanes, while others are
stuck in bumper-to-bumper standstills.
...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19377-2004Oct9.html
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