Bruxley:
This ISP/Cable Provider had a monopoly on the market. No other providers were available.
I don't know the political climate of the city at the time. King/Pierce counties tend to be fairly liberal, so I'd guess the board was predominantly Democrat.
The market does depend on healthy competition for certain. Competition breeds excellence and fairness. But the responsibility of government is to keep the playing field level NOT to open a for profit company and devastate the market for private companies. Take away whatever leverage the company had to retain a monopoly NOT take over the monopoly.
The reason for opening the ISP/Cable utility was to break up a monopoly that the State and Federal governments refused to act upon, after petitions from the citizens of Tacoma and the governing agencies of Tacoma. I can't remember for certain, but I THINK the action to create the utility went to public referendum.
How in the world is a private company to compete with a publicly financed entity? In this case the City of Tacoma. The statement that it was perceived as market manipulation and then solved by a more egregious market manipulation as a good idea?
You're kidding, right? There are examples of private/public competition all over the place.
1. UPS/FEDEX/DHL versus USPS
2. BRINKS/ADT versus 911
3. Private security versus Municipal Police
4. HOA's versus city taxes for parks
5. Trash/Sanitation services
6. Power utilities - some are public entities, some are private.
The list goes on, ad nauseum.
Competition keeps government honest... and business.