🚀 go-pugleaf

("local long distance"; i.e. calls from Westside to UCI cost more per
minute than calls from Westside to Northern California)

There is a fairly easy fix for this problem.  You can get the service
of an alternate LD carrier, and you can install their "dialer" (
a little box that comes between your phone jack on the wall and your
phone).  When you dial "local long distance" call, say from Westside
to UCI, the box diverts that call to go through the new carriers network.

Dialer boxes are not free.  The cost of the alternative I know about
is this: $10/monthly fee for the service, $30 installation of the
dialer, $10/mo rent for the dialer, and the calls are $0.125 per
minute at peak times.  Clearly, you need to call a lot in order for
this to make sense.

Easy fix #2.  Get a calling card.  I have not really looked into
calling cards for "local use", but the cheapest I know of is $0.22 per
minute anywhere in the US.  I am sure there are much better calling
cards out there with lower "local rates".

Easy fix #3: Get a debit card.  Again,  the cheapest I know of has a
rate of $0.17 per minute in the US.

Interestingly enough,  there is officially no competition with this
"local long distance" market, and you are not likely to find any
carrier advertising for their services for these phone calls.  They
can do it, but they cannot say it aloud.

Go and figure out who sells the cheapest stuff for local long
distance.  I think the above rates serve as a general guideline for
what you can find.  

Heikki