Change or Cha-ching? »
Posted By JSilver 10 months, 2 weeks ago in News
As the president and Congress decide how much money to spend getting high-speed Internet to millions of Americans who are living offline, children in Washington, D.C. have a message for Obama: "We need Internet access."
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JSilver
I am currently the executive director and a co-founder of Free Press. Before Free Press, I ran a statewide campaign for public funding of elections ...
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flyonthewallzz10 months, 2 weeks ago
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There is no doubt in my mind that a national free broadband internet system would enrich all Americans.
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I imagine that the folks that charge for it will do everything in their power to block such an effort. Personally, I do not have much sympathy for them.
Just musing here: when we built our interstate highway system, we took out the railroad monopolies, and made some mistakes we are still paying for.
We do have the opportunity to receive television and Radio for free and there is competition from for a fee services that offer more or cleaner and uncensored content.
I wonder if we had a federal internet system, if the FCC would be compelled to regulate it and censor it the way it does with TV and Radio?
Is it possible to just to set aside some bandwidth for folks to set up a free system on their own?
I can pick up my neighbors wireless signal, I wonder what would happen if my computer also broadcasted it? Could that actually be used to create the intent of the World Wide Web?
In “The Wealth of Nations” Adam Smith lays out a free market concept that is supposed to make it difficult for monopolies exist. I have little faith in anti-trust legislation; personally I do not have a problem with the government supporting competition.
Is there a way they could do it, and still fit into Conservative Ideals?-
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Natureboy10 months, 2 weeks ago
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"I wonder if we had a federal internet system, if the FCC would be compelled to regulate it and censor it the way it does with TV and Radio?"
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It might be the FCC.
I also wonder to what degree this would facilitate government spying and the activities of the thought police.
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Pecossam10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Dear Fellow Propeller-Heads,
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Concerning our disadvantaged children's' digital opportunities, or lack of them, why not do the CONSTITUTIONAL, NON-SOCIALIST thing for a change and leave the GOVERNMENT out of this completely? Must these children have the latest in PCs? Knowing as we do the Washington, D.C. penchant for purchasing $700.00 toilet seats and $400.00 hammers, it is an excellent bet that top of the line systems will be purchased (and, yes the lobbyists will be involved in this activity to get their cut of this government largess). These high-dollar systems will make little or no difference in the training of the disadvantaged child in the proper use and care of PCs. I started my Sons out on old 386s to get the rudiments down first (I also encouraged them to take them apart and reassemble them in order to see what "makes them tick").
I propose that we donate to our school districts any old but reasonably functioning PCs. Any truly "needy" child will be "pleased-as-punch" to receive a working, good PC. Perhaps, as their skills increase, they'll be motivated to earn a little money to buy a better used-PC on the open market. I've purchased several that I've been VERY satisfied with.
President Obama's campaign motto was "Yes, we can!" We'll, let's live up to that, for I don't remember the campaign rallying cry being, "Yes, government can do for us", do you? We MUST get out of the habit of CONTINUALLY looking to government (BOTH Federal and State) for our needs. We MUST look to ourselves for solutions, together with others in our communities, as our parents, grandparents, and generations before them did. Our government's PRIMARY responsibility to us is the DEFENSE of our borders and our country, NOT our wants and needs. It is this "gimme" attitude which will put the "finis" to our noble experiment in self-governance. Once it is gone, it may NEVER rise again.-
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nostalgia10 months, 2 weeks ago
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This is more than internet access at schools
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The schools in DC already have internet access
The aim is broadband access in every home
FTA:
For Ashea Williams, a special education teacher at Washington D.C.'s Arts and Technology Academy, it's a change that couldn't come soon enough for her young students. "A lot of our students do not have Internet access," she said last week. "So a lot of the activities that we do here at school they cannot expand upon at home. So the learning ends here."
What good is access if you can't afford the computer you need to gain access
That will be the next step won't it? A computer for every home -
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Natureboy10 months, 2 weeks ago
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"I propose that we donate to our school districts any old but reasonably functioning PCs. Any truly "needy" child will be "pleased-as-punch" to receive a working, good PC. Perhaps, as their skills increase, they'll be motivated to earn a little money to buy a better used-PC on the open market. I've purchased several that I've been VERY satisfied with."
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I already do this. See my post above. -
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nostalgia10 months, 2 weeks ago
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This bill is going to be the largest Christmas tree of all time
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A little for everyone and not enough to really accomplish much
FTA:
Barton called the $2.4 billion devoted to clean coal development in the economic stimulus legislation "relatively miserly."
"In my opinion, the energy provisions before us over-stimulate a small area of our economy and neglect the rest," Barton said in a statement.
At the hearing Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said the leglislation's loan guarantee program does not address nuclear power because the bill is focused on bolstering the economy within two years and no nuclear plants are set to come on line in that time.
Shortsighted and the typical throw some money at it ideas
Look at the power grid - that should be funded totally and brought online now
Alternative energy development won't mean much if you can't transmit it
According to Robert Kennedy Jr, it will take $150 billion to design and build a smart power grid
According to one article, the $825 billion plan would spend about $25 billion on renewable energy, energy efficiency and electricity transmission.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN22250223...
A miserly $25 billion isn't going to get us anywhere even close to energy independence
This bill needs focus, not a "little bit for everyone" approach -
optttixComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned
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DarkWizard10 months, 2 weeks ago
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The practice of lobbying for corporations needs to be eliminated as it is unethical on many levels. Lobbying for non-profit an altruistic causes is fine as there are ethical concerns that need to be brought up and discussed. The PEOPLE shouldn't have to find an advocate to represent their needs in Washington! That is why we vote!!!
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We can't afford for corporations to continue along the same destructive path. If Congress doesn't make the right decisions on how to handle this, and other critical situations, the country will sink further into this quagmire. Greed has to be seen for the disease it is. This disease has infected all of America and WILL ruin our country completely if business as usual is allowed to win. -
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Wolfie200710 months, 2 weeks ago
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Of course, the lobbyists are there! Lobbying is how little folks get the ear of the people we elect. I send dollars to certain lobbyists and organizations to D.C. to have them take my interests to my Representative and Senators. Sometimes I even lobby for myself via letters, phone calls, email and even personal visits. Lobbyist has become a bad word for something that is not bad and is necessary. People need to try to separate predatory and illegal lobbying from the lobbying we all do and it is necessary inform the people we elect of our needs, views and interests. Btw, just voting for them isn't the way you get things done because you and your interests will be ignored until the next election.
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willottica10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Internet access is all well and good. But if you have access at school, access at public libraries, access at internet cafes, etc. Why does every single home need it? You know, we did just fine when there wasn't an internet at all. People read books, did their homework on paper... and levels of literacy in America were actually higher then.
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I think there are far more important things that the government should be focusing before looking at this "nice-to-have". -
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