rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| Total B.S. I know how to prevent waste... let's get rid of this corporate welfare.
My wife and I were in the mobile phone store earlier this week picking out new phones. That's right, a store that does nothing but sell mobile phones and contracts. If mobile phone companies are making so much money that they can afford the overhead of their own stores, they don't need public money to fund rural deployment.
Now what do you suppose I found in this store besides phones and plans? Near the front desk was a big sign with pamphlets advising mobile customers to urge the government to release more funds for rural mobile coverage. I thought to myself, WTF!
The sad part about this is that 99% of the people that read the pamphlet would think it's a great idea. Damn straight! Why shouldn't the government fix the dead spots on my trip to the lake house! What truly disgusts me is the number of people I meet that seem to be numb to the fact that we are the government. The government doesn't have any money unless we give it to them.
Here's my take on it...does anyone remember when PCs cost thousands of dollars? Remember when the computer companies had their own stores? Remember when there were stores that sold nothing but software? All gone because the margin on all of these items will no longer support such activities.
I think the mobile phone companies are making far too much money. The last thing they need is corporate welfare.
And my gripe doesn't stop there. Anyone else feeding at the USF trough can also do without. | |
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 stevephl
join:2000-11-27
Colorado Springs, CO
 ·Comcast
| Re: Total B.S. Excellent points,
The best course of action would be the elimination of the USF altogether we already have enough taxes with corruption running rampant in Washington DC irrespective of party affiliation. No more USF taxes!!!
Living large in Colorado | |
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 | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI |  Yay?
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| | zed260
join:2007-09-30
Cleveland, TN | Re: Yay? they will probably just take the money from the fund say they are adding more broadband and do nothing but raise rates | |
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| | | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI
 ·Alltel Axess
| Re: Yay? Probably, I'm to young to fully understand the effects of taxes and the consequences as I don't give 30% of my money to the feds. Nice to know you didn't call me a noobtard though.
So to get this straight this is where some of our tax dollars are being wasted? Like how I saw on the news how they have sent government lawyers to a tropical island to investigate the health of cats? Trying to make the people on the island lock them up every night or something stupid like that because the cats are free roaming even though they are healthy and don't have any viruses.
OK done ranting. | |
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| | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| I call B.S. on rural BB deployment. My parents live in a rural area with no DSL, no cable but they are livin' large with satellite TV and HSI. In fact they have two HSI choices. Both are fixed wireless and reasonably cheap. (One provider is $49/month for 3Mbps/1Mbps and the other is $39/month for 1Mbps/1Mbps).
In fact, they have more choices than I living smack in the middle of the 18th largest metro area!
How do they have these choices? Both local companies that built their own fixed wireless system.
Now why would I want to help fund rural HSI when it seems to be doing fine if we leave it to the capitalist pigs? | |
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| | | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI
·Alltel Axess
| Re: Yay? rradina good point.
However, I have NO fixed wireless available to me. There is some but its more miles away than DSL/cable and complete CRAP!
America can't even fix itself, we shouldn't try to do any more Iraqs unless were almost positive they have nukes, I'd rather pay more taxes and not have been nuked. | |
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| | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| Re: Yay? Do you have cell data plans in your area? I know they aren't cheap and they aren't unlimited but even living in small towns offers advantages that cannot be delivered to truly rural areas. Likewise, the wide open spaces and pin-drop silence of a country house is often cherished by those in crowded suburbia.
But I do understand your point about waste. I would certainly agree that funding rural infrastructure (whatever that might be, broadband, HSI, telephone, water, sewer, electric, etc.) is far smarter than many of our government's past and present policies.
I watched a show on Discovery/TLC/History/NGEO (forget which) about a new station in the Antarctic. I'm sure we spent some serious cash there while folks here in the U.S. do without health care.
Now just so you don't think I'm a bleeding heart liberal (hahaha -- I made myself laugh), I'm not suggesting we reallocate those funds for national health care. I'm suggesting we could cut waste and lower everyone's taxes. Or if we don't lower taxes, perhaps we could pay off our national debt. There are a lot of economists that believe our debt is a big burden on our economy. | |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| said by rradina  :I call B.S. on rural BB deployment. My parents live in a rural area with no DSL, no cable but they are livin' large with satellite TV and HSI. In fact they have two HSI choices. Both are fixed wireless and reasonably cheap. (One provider is $49/month for 3Mbps/1Mbps and the other is $39/month for 1Mbps/1Mbps). Most people's only chocie for "broadband" in the boonies is crappy satelite for $50 a month for 512Kbps no counting the $500 instalation fee. Also the 6-7 GB amonth caps. That's not a REAL choice.
People see broadband as a luxury. At one point electricity and phone service was considered a luxury. In fact that telephone tax that's been charged for 100+ years was originally a LUXURY tax on phone service because if you had a phone you were rich. That sounds crazy now. At one time having a toilet in your house meant you were rich. | |
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| | | | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI | Re: Yay? My god, I don't care if my internet was crap as long as it stays connected and doesnt lag.
I cant stay connected for 5 MINUTES!
THIS SUCKS! Broadband isn't a need but for me internet that at least isn't total CRAP is a need. | |
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DRM Killler
@rr.com
 from:
rradina
| said by BF69 : At one time having a toilet in your house meant you were rich. It still does. You are not only rich, but too spoiled to realise it as well. | |
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| | | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| Re: Yay? Couldn't have said it better. The only thing we haven't heard yet is that toilets are a RIGHT! Just ask Hillary. I'm sure she'll agree that those without a toilet are disadvantaged and that they should have a right to defecate like everyone else. If elected, she will ensure that everyone gets toilet vouchers funded by taxing the winners in life's lottery. | |
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| | | | | | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI
·Alltel Axess
| Re: Yay? How about this. INstead of wasting tax dollars on actual BB
Lets get GOOD WIRELESS, low ping high download speed and good reliablility. Thats just as good as anything by my standards. Heck all I want is something with low ping and reliability. | |
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jinjimbob
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13 | I would like cell phone coverage at my house one day. But its with out it, its the price I pay for living in a great rural place, wouldn't ever live in a city again. ugh. | |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| Re: Total B.S. said by stevephl :Excellent points, The best course of action would be the elimination of the USF altogether we already have enough taxes with corruption running rampant in Washington DC irrespective of party affiliation. No more USF taxes!!! Living large in Colorado Well that would be great but i's also fantasy. The USF is NOT going away so instead of talking about getting rid of it it's better to discuss better ways to use the USF. Keeping the status quo until a mythical day that won't happen is lunadcy. | |
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| | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | Re: Total B.S. Our government is what we make it. We do have the power to get rid of the USF. The problem is, individually, people will make the right decision but put us in a room and we'll tend to vote with the crowd. | |
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| | | markopoleo
join:2003-04-02
Bonne Terre, MO
·Charter Pipeline
| Re: Total B.S. said by rradina :Our government is what we make it. We do have the power to get rid of the USF. The problem is, individually, people will make the right decision but put us in a room and we'll tend to vote with the crowd. Actually the problem is its really not decided by a vote, its decided by people who want it in the first place.
Most of the stuff in government that needs to be changed is not up for a vote by people, its in the hands of people who already control it. You vote for the people not the situation sadly.
Its like sending a bill giving money to science research to a group of lawmakers who don't understand it, makes no sense. It does make sense to put things like this up to a vote.
Billions would be saved on useless projects that continue past there need. Heck, lots of government things would be shut down because people don't need them anymore. | |
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| | | | rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| Re: Total B.S. We cannot put everything to a vote but we can vote for people that will might have the will to exercise fiscal responsibility. The average person would never have the time to understand the issue and cast an informed opinion. If we voted for everything, the media would have even more power to shape society by "spinning" the side they believe is right.
One of the problem with politics is that we almost always give folks a full term before holding them accountable for their decisions. Unless the guy is caught being a crook, it's extremely rare for anyone to get kicked out of office.
Politicians should be just like the rest of us who can be IMMEDIATELY terminated if we don't do a good job. And when TERMINATED, NO BENEFITS, NO RETIREMENT... just a coach plane ticket home.
Since the media won't do it without bias, maybe we need a government to watch the government. Yeah -- stupid idea but at least it's something different than just letting this crap continue. | |
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| | | | | DemonChicken
join:2006-10-15
Boon, MI | Re: Total B.S. Terminating would be a good idea, but then once again democrats would be trying to terminate republicans and such. And considering the way the media is It would be imbalanced. | |
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| | stevephl
join:2000-11-27
Colorado Springs, CO
·Comcast
| With attitudes such as yours, certainly the USF will not go away anytime soon but if enough people write and phone their elected representatives we can turn this around eliminating this tax. It is time to make our voices heard in Washington, wealth redistribution is simply wrong. I am taking my own advice and doing just that contacting all of my elected representatives and a letter to the FCC. Oh and have a great Thanksgiving Day  | |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| Re: Total B.S. said by stevephl :With attitudes such as yours, certainly the USF will not go away anytime soon but if enough people write and phone their elected representatives we can turn this around eliminating this tax. It is time to make our voices heard in Washington, wealth redistribution is simply wrong. I am taking my own advice and doing just that contacting all of my elected representatives and a letter to the FCC. Oh and have a great Thanksgiving Day I rather deal with REAL situations and not waste time day dreaming about utpoian ones. You solution is a do nothing because if we wish hard enough things will change one day. And they won't and in 10 years you'll still be griping about waste. You want to get from poitn A to point Z without going through points B-Y. It doesn't work that way. | |
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| | | | stevephl
join:2000-11-27
Colorado Springs, CO
·Comcast
1 edit | Re: Total B.S. Wrong, where in my post did I mention sitting back and dreaming (wishing) for change? Being proactive in contacting elected officials does work, take for instance the following example; Congress this past summer was just about to pass sweeping new legislation that would have granted illegal aliens status, issuing "Z" Visa's and granting amnesty, millions of concerned, informed voters across the country, representing the full political spectrum did in fact phone, write and fax their elected representatives resulting in this bad piece of legislation to fail in the final vote tally. I am some what mystified that people are not willing to expend the energy and time necessary to effect change, they just want to "go along" not making waves whatever is currently popular not necessarily what is right.
I find that laws that allow for the taxation of citizens in order to give money to another group to be both unethical as well as unconstitutional. There is no need for the USF tax and we need to do everything we can to eliminate this tax which is a worthy goal which is precisely what I am doing. Thanks for your feedback, please enjoy a nice Thanksgiving Day holiday with your family and friends. | |
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