How are you doing today?? I hope that today, you are making your dreams possible, because we should live each and every day as if it were our last. Enough of the morbid talk, I am beginning to sound like we are going to a funeral, which is the last thing that I would like to do today!!! I am excited, very excited. Why? Today, I would like to share with you, something that is going on today, that will change your lives whether you decide to dive into it or not. That is a bold statement, right? I mean, mentioning something that will shape our lives whether we accept it or not. Right?

First, let me tell you a bit more about myself. I am sure that most of you know me from Toastmasters’. In my icebreaker, I mentioned that my background is in electrical engineering and computer science. I also believe that I mentioned that I am from Atlanta, Georgia. That I grew up in a smaller city, Decatur, in the suburbs, and that my grandparents were strong advocates of education, so were my parents, who both went to college, one graduated with a Masters’, the other chose the entrepreneurial side and went into business for himself after 2 years in college. But, what you do not know, is what really makes me tick!! I mean, the aspects that make me tick are not a job, a car, a house, or even for that matter a diploma. What makes me tick is to have a loving and supportive family. What makes me tick is to be able to mold, motivate, and shape minds to the betterment of society. What makes me tick is to be able to provide my parents with items that they always dared to dream. You see, my parents, they dreamed!! But, I would like to make their dreams a reality. My mother, her dream was to have a house of her own after she and my father separated. I obtained my realtors’ license, and puff, she has a home of her own. Now, she dreams of retiring, of traveling, I am working on it!! My father dreamed of relaxing, fishing, and shooting the breeze all day. Now, he works in the city at HIS store. Sounds ok, right? Wrong, the area is a crime infested area in which it is a struggle to survive each and every day. I want to remove him or improve the community to a better level. My sister is in college and because of her, my parents are still working! What about my dreams, my own dreams? Well, I would like to go around and motivate others that they do not have to accept their current fate and to never enter into the mindset of the grasshopper, COMPLACENCY or QUIT MODE!!!! I would like to speak to groups of people, possibly even write a book on the ills of society and how you can move up and out of your present environment if it is not conducive to YOU!! You might say, Kiietti, why did you choose computer science and electrical engineering? Why are you working at a technical company in which your interests lay elsewhere? Why? Why? Well, I tell you why, the answer is simple. I chose a technical background for what it could do for me, not what I could do for others. The answer is simple, money, greed, not to mention naivete.

Enough, enough, I have been talking about my dreams, the dreams of my family. I want you to now always think of YOUR Dreams and how you will achieve them!!!

It is funny, talking of dreams and guess what, their is ONE topic of current news that can make that come true, DEREGULATION. Deregulation is a HUGE topic of discussion today, tomorrow, and that’s!!!! Deregulation will not be a topic of discussion again because, it will only happen ONCE, never again, and the lives that it touches today and tomorrow will forever mark the lives of those in the future!!!

In the early 80s, the US Federal Government mandated that the telecommunication industry comprised of AT&T only, deregulate. This brought about US Sprint, MCI, and would you believe over 600 other long distance provides????? Now, our government is mandating that the local telephone industry deregulate, the cable industry deregulate, the paging industry deregulate, the cellular industry deregulate, the internet industry deregulate, and wow, the UTILITY industry deregulate!!

With the deregulation of the long distance industry, what did we receive? We received competent competitors of the same if not better service. Ever heard of fiber optic technology? With deregulation, who knows when we would have even used fiber optic technology which provides digital technology for one thing and clarity of sound, tone, pitch, not to mention the ability to carry thousands upon thousands of more data across than regular copper wire!!!! Ever heard of call forwarding, 3-way calling, caller ID, and Voice-mail? I wonder if we would have heard of these as well without deregulation which allowed other competitors to jump on the telecommunication wagon.

Imagine cable. How many enjoy cable? How many enjoy the constant reruns, unsuitable TV formats and programming provided. How many enjoy the bill? Wouldn’t it be WONDERFUL to choose your cable provider and be able to demand the quality of service that you deserve?

Let us talk utilities. How many enjoy heat in the winter? What about air in the summer? Do you know how to read your meter and do you understand the kilowatts involved. Have you ever went away for a while and were still charged a rate somewhat close to your regular rate of usage? Do you realize that your water, electric, and gas may or may not be provided by Huntsville Utilities, the Madison Water and Wastewater Board, or Alabama Power? Do you know where the water comes to generate all of the power that we use? Would it surprise you to know that facilities all across the country provide us with the power we use here in Huntsville, Madison area each and every day by incorporating the efforts of each other? You see, imagine a grid. Imagine that you are responsible for quadrants 1 and 2 and someone else is responsible of quadrants 3 and 4. Well, suppose you can not provide for quadrants 1 and 2. Does this mean that those who fall in quadrants 1 and 2 lose out on heat, air, or water? No, all you need to do is contact another facility and have them provide enough for the quadrants that are lacking!!! You did not know that, huh??? Well, with deregulation, we will all have choices in who provides us power at costs that are reasonable. You never think of questioning a utility bill, do you??

Let me throw out some awesome figures for you. The telecommunications industry today is worth over $600 Billion dollars!!! The utilities industry has yet to have a price tag associated with it, somewhere over $700 Billion. And that is just today? What about tomorrow, the 21st Century? Do you realize that both industries have the potential to become TRILLION dollar industries???? BY the year 2000??????????

What if you could position yourself to actively take part of this word called DEREGULATION? I mean we will be part of this anyway, whether we want to or not. 99% of everyone is this country has a phone. 99% of all of us use electricity, water, and gas. Most of us have cable television. We are beginning to utilize the internet to educate ourselves in a fun, effortless, and continuous way through the internet. Some of us are using cellular telephones for safety and convenience, we are utilizing pagers as ways of communication, and we are entering into new forms of technology each and every day.

If I could show you a way to save on all of these services, and WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED? Would you?

Ladies and gentlemen, that is the reason for deregulation. Deregulation provides us with choices, choices that we never noticed that we did not have before. Deregulation provides us with better services. Why? Our providers will now have to offer better products and lower priced products to keep our attention. Deregulation enables us to become more informed consumers.

Now, remember that deregulation is now! It will set the pace for whatever our future, our children’s future, and our grandchildren’s future will be. We will have to be the pacemakers for the 21st Century. Are you ready? If so, let’s go!!!

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I believe that deregulation has helped to bring about what might have taken years to come about or might have never been. Deregulation has improved the lives of us all because it prevents us from entering the lackadaisical mindset. It keeps us on our feet in a constant world of change.

Remember, the next time you hear about deregulation, Deregulation is good, it promotes high standards. Sustainable deregulation is fundamental to development. It is the best means that we have of stimulating choice, innovation, efficiency, better service, lower prices and economic growth to us all. Deregulation is a view to creating greater choice and diversity for all consumers.