It's only going to get worse as more and more industries become oligarchies.
Back in the day when you had 20-30 big comapnies (and lots of smaller ones) fighting each other, they'd never think of passing off fee's like these to the customers to make a quick quarterly increase. No competition? Well, not much keeping them from doing so.
What you going to do, go to Sprint / AT&T? (if you can get out of contract)
It's the sad state of our conssumerist economy. Can we get some Capitalism back maybe? Or is the government doing it's job as a counterwight "socialism"?
I don't want to start a flame thing, so I'll say this and not post anything more. As a former history teacher, comments such as yours bother me.
An oligarchy is a form of government where power rests in the hands of a few people (royalty, elites, etc.). Industries/businesses don't become oligarchies. Industries/businesses become oligopolies (few businesses dominate a segment of the economy). There have always been oligopolies -- think Coke and Pepsi or McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's or the auto industry.
Some industries/businesses become monopolies.
"Back in the day" (until 1982) the only phone service available in the US was with the Bell system -- a nationally sanctioned monopoly. So back in the day, people wouldn't have done anything if they wanted a telephone. Ma Bell was the only game in town. There was no competition and, adjusted for inflation, people paid through the nose for phone service. Into the 1980s people were still paying a monthly lease on the phone device itself (they monopolized that too) as well as paying for the only telephone service available. Even the 1982 breakup wasn't exactly the end of the monopoly, but it was the beginning of the end. Ma Bell was split into seven regional Baby Bells.
"Can we get some capitalism back?" I don't really understand that. Verizon was attempting to do what all capitalist ventures seek to do -- make more money.
The government socialism counterweight? I don't really understand what you're saying there. I guess the implication is that government regulation of business/industry on behalf of consumers is socialist? Is that it? Do you watch the news at all? Do you know why Occupy Wall Street happened? Are you aware of the historic disparity of wealth in this country, and the vast share of wealth held by the top couple per cent?
In the end, Verzion voluntarily dumped the fee because of the consumer backlash and a calculus that the ill-will it engendered would cost them more money in the long-run than they would get with the $2.00 fee. If that's not capitalism what is?
But what happened to "family friendly?" LOL