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This is a sub-selection from No, we need to KEEP GOVERNMENT OUT

Xioden
Premium Member
join:2008-06-10
Monticello, NY

1 recommendation

Xioden to tshirt

Premium Member

to tshirt

Re: No, we need to KEEP GOVERNMENT OUT

We could redirect $200B of the defense budget and still be about five times what any other country in the world spends, or still more than the next 7 countries combined spend. And then somewhere around 20-30% of that would actually come right back in the form of taxes over the few years the build out would take.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

We certainly could, but we haven't yet. and remember that defence money pays exist salaries for millions, and like much of the federal budget unlikely to be easily redirected/recommitted.
If you expect a 20-30% return on taxes, in only a few years, you are dreaming. even if you taxed at 100% it is unlikely faster internet alone would instantly generate $25+ billion in NEW annual revenue (NEW, being not just taken/displaced from other sectors)
This isn't a 3-5 year pay off sized project, and until proponents offer more realistic guesstimates and solutions to compensating existing providers(which may be an equal or larger amount) a publicly owned overbuild won't get much traction.
This is why USF like, 'slow and steady' trickle of funds has been the basis of federal efforts to gradually improve broadband.
Yes it is slow, inefficient, and like insufficient on it's own, it and an occasional "stimulus"-like (which actual was more effective that expected) bursts are all the federal funding you will see.
Consistent, long term (something we the people haven't been good at for awhile) tax benefits to make it in the incumbents best interest to do it themselves will make the product more expensive (any mandate with all the added requirements does this) but would be more likely to get it done quickly.

Xioden
Premium Member
join:2008-06-10
Monticello, NY

Xioden

Premium Member

That $200 billion doesn't need to be taken out of one years defense budget. Over the course of a 5 year roll out $40 billion a year is a lot more manageable. And the fact of the matter is more than that is wasted on either redundant stuff that is already handled by other agencies or outright stupid shit.

The USF is a slush fund that is just one huge money sink.

Subsidies just wont cut it anymore, see pretty much every single small community build out in the past 5 years and all the opposition faced by them by the incumbents. You think subsidies are going to stop that?

Compared to all the bullshit this country spends money on, a national broadband build out should be a no-brainer. The sad fact is it is good for our infrastructure and good for the American People. Those two facts alone will guarantee corporations will never allow it to happen since it will hurt their shareholders bottom lines.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

said by Xioden:

...Compared to all the bullshit this country spends money on, a national broadband build out should be a no-brainer....

I very much agree.
Your problem is convincing the no brainers in Washington and all the people at home that, Right now, WE ALL need to commit to an extra $2000 in debt per household over the next 5 years and the THIS is the plan WITHOUT changes and modification and studies and committees and boards and commissions and addons and extras and earmarks and...

AND that this is actually enough to complete it and it will pay for itself in X-years and Uncle Bob who works at the cableco will still have a similar job. and that this isn't just so your kids can spend the rest of their lives in the basement playing games, downloading stolen IP, hacking sites, and whacking off.
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This is a sub-selection from No, we need to KEEP GOVERNMENT OUT