Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC | Hell Yes!
I agree.
Instead of killing Muni-Projects, work out a beneficial middle ground! |
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aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA | Yep. They waste more money trying to fight it, they could have wired everyone with all that cash... |
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ashakouri1
join:2002-08-23
Santa Monica, CA | reply to Matt
yeah but you there is going to be some idiot or some senior citizen that doesn't know anything about computers or could care less about the internet and is going to complain about tax dollars being spent on a muni-project. |
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53059959
Temp banned from BBR more then anyone
join:2002-10-02
PwnZone | just goes to show
how much power the average joe has |
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reub2000
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Evanston, IL | These aren't exactly my gripes
#10, and #8 are my only gripes out of the 7 so far. |
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Ark
join:2002-06-08
Hudsonville, MI | #9 is up there too though. I think 8-10 are much more important gripes than all the rest so far. Maybe this list is backwards. |
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reub2000
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Evanston, IL | #8 would if it concerned me, since I'm a minor, and my parents pay the bill. However, I do agree that it is underhanded tactic to use. |
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damox
Premium
join:2002-01-07
Olympia, WA
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
| reply to ashakouri1
Re: Hell Yes!
That's why these broadband ventures launched by municipalities should be required to be self supporting! The ones that I am aware of, are already such!
--
DAMOX Proud to be a member of Team Discovery |
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damox
Premium
join:2002-01-07
Olympia, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
| reply to Matt
A resounding YES! I absolutely agree! Municipalities should be encouraged in this regard. We obviously cannot trust the broadband industry to offer us the best product for the best price! Each municipality is different of course. In some communities the commercial broadband offerings are sufficient for the needs of the community, but in others they are sorely lacking.
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DAMOX Proud to be a member of Team Discovery |
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2kmaro
Think
Premium,ExMod 1 BC
join:2000-07-11
ColossalCave
clubs:  
| reply to ashakouri1
The heck of it is that it takes (wasted) taxpayer dollars to even begin to fight off the Big Bad Wolves. But it's not all that bad because it seems typical that the municipalities are only able to come up with a few thousand dollars to tout the PRO side of it while the large businesses spend tens or hundreds of thousands telling how cruel a punishment it would be on the citizens.
If it's true that it takes money to make money then the cableco's and telco's should do well, because they sure have the deep pockets necessary to protect their future interests. |
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wherethemoneygoes
@optonline.net | reply to Matt
the more energy and re$ouce$ the $pend on fighting muni project$ the le$$ they have to $pend on upgrade$
A vi$ciou$ cycle |
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Pz_
join:2001-03-31
Brownsburg, IN
clubs:
| reply to ashakouri1
I don't have any kids, but my complaining of tax dollars being spent on education tend to not make a difference. I wonder why this one does. Must be people more rich than I doing the bitching.
We are all one big happy tax family. Everyone has to pay for everything. Unless its something cool for us, then it never seems to work out. |
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rmeldrum3
join:2005-01-07
Provo, UT | I agree
One of the few things my city is doing right is installing a fiber network. In fact they are in the process of installing the cable as we speak. It will be so cool to tell CommieCast. Where they can stick it once the system is up and running. |
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SanJoseNerd
Premium
join:2002-07-24
San Jose, CA
| Build it if they won't come
Cities routinely spend public money to build airports, sports stadiums, and other things that could be built by private industry. But if private industry doesn't do it, the citizens should have the right to do it themselves.
A decent airport can mean the difference between life and death for a small city. Shut the airport, and the city suddenly becomes remote, which depresses property values and makes the city unattractive to business.
Some cities are beginning to perceive that decent broadband is in the same category as a decent airport: necessary to the long-term survival of the city.
Can you imagine any state legislature passing a law that forbids cities from building or upgrading their airports and stadiums? The howls of outrage would be deafening. |
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XBL2009
------
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL | ADSL 2+
SBC should have upgraded to ADSL 2+ already....
They are taking to long to get there network up to speed.
It would be awesome if the city provided 10 megabit connections and wifi. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to SanJoseNerd
Re: Build it if they won't come
said by SanJoseNerd  :Can you imagine any state legislature passing a law that forbids cities from building or upgrading their airports and stadiums? The howls of outrage would be deafening. I would love it if Pennsylvania had passed a law forbidding public financing of sports stadiums. Given that the city of Philadelphia spent nearly half a billion dollars on new stadiums for the Phillies and Eagles when record numbers of people are being gunned down in the streets shows that the city really doesn't have its priorities straight.
Half a billion dollars could have hired a lot more police officers, hired a lot more good teachers, paid for a lot of school books... the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is once again going on some wild-eyed, unneeded municipal wireless broadband plan when other city services need major upgrades. To me, this is like planning a room addition to one end of the house while the rest of the house is on fire.
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Hey Fast Eddie... you're next! |
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mocycler
Premium
join:2001-01-22
Naperville, IL
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T Midwest
1 edit | reply to Matt
Re: Hell Yes!
I normally would not have a problem with an article like this, even if I do disagree with it.
What really yanks me is that it's ol' Karl again, in his tired, beaten-beyond-death Bell-bashin' and passing off editorials as "News".
Sorry, but I fail to see the slightest shred of "news" in this. Furthermore, I love the bit about "this is what we believe to be the top ten broadband gripes." Translation: We did no valid market survey and there is no factual information here. We're just making this crap up.
But I digress. The last thing we need is another do-nothing, lazy, inefficient government operation.
If the muni supporters think this is such a winner of an idea, they are certainly free to invest their private money and go at it. Talk is cheap when you're dipping into someone else's wallet.
Peace,
mocycler |
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Wills
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL
| reply to aztecnology
I wouldn't say they wasted money trying to fight it.
Let's apply a little business sense to this. What is the better choice if you're a business owner?
Spending a ton of money to rewire current customers and wire those that didn't have it, only to have half of them switch to the muni's offer. Then, as a kick in the nuts, be forced to let the muni use YOUR wiring to serve the customers they stole from you.
Or spend that money killing the muni, ensuring that you retain your current customers and you get all the future customers.
When you apply simply business sense they did the most monetarily sound thing. Self preservation and killing off any competition. While that's not good for us, we're not running the business.
And by the looks of most opinion, that's a good thing.
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I have a shaved head, a goatee, and tatoos. Don't you realize the rules don't apply to me. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
 ·PHONE POWER
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T CallVantage
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable
2 edits | reply to mocycler
quote:
What really yanks me is that it's ol' Karl again, in his tired, beaten-beyond-death Bell-bashin' and passing off editorials as "News".
If you're tired of Karl's opinion you should probably stop reading the front page of this site. As you pointed out in your own quote, BBR has made it very clear that this is an opinion piece. Feel free to invest your private money in a broadband "all news, no opinions" site and go at it if you don't like it.
Perhaps BBR could benefit from some additional writers and viewpoints, but I think your slams against Karl are undeserved.
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\\ROB - a part of the SCB local network |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
2 edits | reply to Wills
quote:
Spending a ton of money to rewire current customers and wire those that didn't have it, only to have half of them switch to the muni's offer. Then, as a kick in the nuts, be forced to let the muni use YOUR wiring to serve the customers they stole from you.
That's called competition. It's a good thing.
A King could be a good king. Or he could slaughter the children of his competitors in the hope of extending his reign. The latter might be more effective; but subjects probably shouldn't stand about applauding the decision if they value quality living. |
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