RUS, NTIA Unveil New Broadband Stimulus Winners

of the money actually goes to infrastructure and how much goes to bonuses for the executives? I'd guess about 50% goes for bonuses, 20% for the actual work, and 30% for "designing" and "administrative" expenses.

Every corporation tries to use the stimulus money to give bonuses and perks to the executives

Actually, this stimulus money cannot be used in any way as income. Furthermore, there is quite a bit of oversight concerning rural projects.

Correct
These rural muni fiber grants actually get things done, at least more so than the old grants where they gave money to giant incumbents who just pocketed it

I sure hope there is a penalty if they are caught pocketing the money.

this by en-large isn't about broadband itself, but about creating "technology" centers in underpriviledged economic areas across the country... not sure all this "job traning" centers will help if there aren't jobs to be had.. it's not as if there are whole sectors of our economy with employers crying poor for workers... it's quite the opposite. if anything it creates GOVERNMENT jobs to get people trying to look and trian for jobs that aren't out there-- but why not, give anything a shot before the election.

the vast majority of these projects do just about nothing to spur real competition amongst the deployed last mile and create NEW infrastructure for residential consumers which competes with incumbents. targeted for poor communities or not.. it seems to make them more dependant upon government (thus taxpayer funded) and incumbents than ever..

Do you really think competitors (Telcos and MSOs alike) want to compete in rural areas? Of course not, but just think, all big cities started as rural areas. Any expenditures in infrastructure could lead to more development, or not. It's a gamble really.

Oh and newsflash, we all depend on government, some of us are just selective about how we complain about it.

I was looking over where this money is going and it would seem to be pure election year pork barrel spending. The money seems to be going to the districts of Democratic House members, and some Senators, who are in a desperate battle to keep their jobs.

Why am I not surprised?

I think it must be like $.20 of every dollar spent by the Feds has 1 purpose - keep the bums in Congress in office by buying votes.

So if the Republicans win big in the elections this fall, are you still going to call members of Congress "bums"?

That's right. We need a general House and Senate cleaning. The Republican's are going to win big. But what is interesting is the Republican establishment is not happy the "Tea Party movement" has high jacked their comfortable arrangements. The Democratic Party needs to do the same thing. Do you honestly feel the likes of Nancy Pelosi are looking out for your and this countries interests.

I was looking into this in more detail, and if there isn't a Democratic connection in the House there is a desperate Senator running for office. Then there is the campaign contributions. Sadly this money is going to be spent and the tax payers, even in the local area, will see nothing. The wazoo running for re-election will come through pounding his chest and give the modern version of President Hoover's "Chicken in a pot" stump speech "My friends I promise you a computer for everyone, and high speed internet in every home.

This does not happen in Wyoming, we didn't get any of this money and our two Senators, and single Representative know better then to try and feed us such crap.

Oh is this just like when all the candidates in student congress promised free snickers and ice cream during lunch if we voted for them?

Ok just so you know I have skin in the game. I work for a cable company. Even that does not make my thoughts wrong. I don't think that giving a bail out to any company is right at all no bail outs. I do notice that the bail outs are mainly for fiber. Its not as if all the fiber techs know how to do the copper in the home work anyways.

We tried to compete with real intentions on helping the rural people of Texas, and all we got was Tod Staples and his cronies with AT&T and Verizon hiring "Connected Nation", what a FARSE!!! they intentionally marked the area we know and are from as completely covered with DSL all throughout the entire area! When I challenged the map, I was told they would look into it AFTER September! goes to show you all politicians are looking out for themselves, at the expense of the taxpayers they are supposed to be representing.