Leadership Quote by Melissa Bean

Bean’s line is a small piece of telecom populism: a politician translating an abstract market-structure problem into a kitchen-table complaint. “One option” and “one price” is blunt, almost deliberately unglamorous language. It doesn’t flatter the audience with policy fluency; it flatters them with recognition. You’re not imagining it: you’re stuck.

The intent is tactical. By framing cable as a monopoly (or near-monopoly) lived at the household level, Bean sets up a moral contrast between captive constituents and unaccountable providers. The repetition of “one” isn’t just emphasis; it’s a verdict. Competition isn’t an economic theory here, it’s a missing everyday right.

The subtext is also about permission. “Our constituents desire choice” functions like a mandate-generator, turning preference into democratic legitimacy. It’s a soft assertion of authority: if voters want choice, then regulation, franchising reform, or pro-competition rules become not interference but representation. Notice how “desire” sidesteps ideology. She doesn’t say consumers “demand deregulation” or “need protection.” She says they want options, which is politically cleaner and harder to argue against.

Context matters: this is the era when cable bills climbed, service complaints were endemic, and local franchising deals often produced de facto exclusivity. Satellite existed, but wasn’t always equivalent; broadband bundling would soon tighten the trap. Bean’s quote works because it makes a structural critique feel personal, and makes a policy fight sound like basic fairness.