Does Verizon feel that these fines obviate their responsibility to act? Is it cheaper to pay the fines than fix the problem?

Well put

Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman

Watching it on mute gives it an eerie and much more realistic experience. The silence is chilling.

I would like to be able to voice my opinion on how my tax dollars are spent. Suppose that I oppose the money being spent on defense and would rather my tax revenue went towards space research - I feel that I should have an option to divert some of my taxes, at least a part above the prescribed percentage, towards scientific R&D rather than programs that I don't agree with, such as subsidizing war. Not only would I feel better paying higher tax rate were I given the option to choose the recipient, I (we) could voice my (our) political preferences based on what we prefer to fund and what I (we) don't.