Prepay utilities????

Just read this on Techdirt

http://techdirt.com/articles/20081003/1659112452.shtml

Since when do I have to pay for someones bad credit?
So here is the rip in the economy. In my business I'm billing due on receipt, 6 months ago this would mean that I would receive payment in 15 business days or less, now I'm receiving payment 60 - 90 days. Which in turns puts my cash flow out to the same time frame.

Two ways to look at this
1. AT$T is going to be pre-paying their vendors.
or
2. The more likely scenario AT$T is not going to pay their vendors for 60-90 days as usual form of business -- and we the people are stuck paying in advance for services not rendered. (good luck getting this money back when you close your account with them.)

This is going to cause a huge gap between those that have to pay before service and the large business that will continue to pay 60-90 days. That puts a 120 day gap between the the people and business. That's 4 months!! Banks start to foreclose on secured loans after about 60 days.

In short AT$T is living the same as the rest of us, from paycheck to paycheck with no savings. Now they want us to give them a paycheck 30 days before payday. (Reminds me of a payday loan company except we don't get to make 50% interest on the loan.)
Will the extra 30 days of cash help them out, short term yes. Long term this eats up what ever reserve they may have had.

Here is a solution; Drop AT$T as a service provider, the bank will foreclose on its assets, the assets will be sold to a stronger company, and life will go on without AT$T.

Who's next;
Will it be the power company that wants to be paid for power that I have not used? (I guess they are already doing this on some billing where you pay a fixed rate all year long)
How about your local grocery store?
Gas Station?

We better tighten our belts and hunker down, it's going to be a long Winter.