Mastodawn

Tony, Pretty Much

Bringing high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities, military bases, and Tribal lands is something that will help everyone. Americans need internet access to apply for jobs, participate in online education, apply for earned benefits, and much more. It’s a necessity.

Thank you, President Biden and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Federal government to give states $930M in grants to expand high-speed internet |
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4052241-federal-high-speed-internet-grants/

Federal government to give states $930M in grants to expand high-speed internet

The Biden administration on Friday announced it will give just over $930 million in grants to expand high-speed internet infrastructure across 35 states and Puerto Rico. The effort, part of a program under the Department of Commerce, aims to give communities infrastructure to carry large amounts of data over long distances and increase capacity to…

The Hill

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark
I struggle with a few general questions relating to the government extending private commercial services to markets that providers elect not to invest in:

Do we make the new potential customers subscribe, use it, and pay a monthly bill? What companies get to collect the bills? Do they pay the taxpayers back for the infrastructure capital improvements?

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan Nobody is going to be forced to internet subscription. That’s a bit silly. The rest can be found on whitehouse.gov

Get Internet | The White House

https://www.whitehouse.gov/getinternet/

Get Internet | The White House

Learn how President Biden is reducing the cost of high-speed internet and find out if you qualify to sign up.

The White House

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark Let me first say that I am a lifelong Independent voting Down Ballot Blue because the GOP is a corrupt, racist bag of clowns wholly owned by American oligarchs. Just so there is no confusion. I pay a lot of taxes & I care how my money is spent.

My observation is that my taxes are used to build internet infrastructure for private companies to gain customers who will use my money to pay their internet bills to companies who had the chance to install lines but opted not to.

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark How is this not considered transferring my tax dollars to internet companies?

Maybe I missed the part where the internet companies pay back the government.

I think these are legitimate questions many taxpayers might ask.

I also hate the student loan bailout, all bailouts, and all subsidies. The PPP was a huge scam. Tax the rich & end Citizens United.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan You lost me at student loan bailout. I’m going to guess you’ll lose a lot of people there.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan Taxes build stuff you don’t personally need all the time. It’s community investment. That’s what they’re for. This “I got mine, you get yours” mentality is not progressive.

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark Agreed.

To me, individual private internet companies are not "community." They're private companies.

To me, individual student loan borrowers are not "community." They're individual borrowers.

At the same time, I think Biden has been the most effective president of my lifetime, and he ain't done yet. I have my opinions, and I think others share those opinions. I think it's beneficial to discuss our opinions as long as they're not assinine or ludicrous.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan Individuals make up a community. This is basic stuff and I’m really over explaining it.

Charles Herold Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan Individual student loan borrowers in your community are part of your community. How are you defining community.

We built a highway system. It benefited car companies, trucking companies, gas companies, all sorts of companies. Should we have not built it? Should we have refused to build it unless everyone who would benefit anted up?

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@cherold Should the community get together and build a park for all to use or a garden in your backyard for you?

Should we build a road free for all to use or build a toll road and let a private company collect the tolls and keep the cash? If some can't pay the toll, should we give them the money to give to the toll company so they can keep that cash, too?

The community decides what's best and who benefits. I am an individual member of a community. I'll pitch in for the park & toll-free toad.

A. Park Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan What? Individuals in a group are a community. English is my 3rd language, not even my second. Way off.

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark I am who I am. If you sign a loan, it's your loan, not mine. I pay all my debts. Everybody should. To me, it's wrong to force others to pay someone else's personal obligations.

I think it is healthy for people to hear & understand this position. Many families never had anyone in their family go to college or take out student loans. They are adamantly opposed to paying off a stranger's loan while working hard, scraping by, & paying taxes.

I'm still Down Ballot Blue. I have opinions.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan If people were taken advantage of, we can help them get out i from under the burden. You’re not paying for others’ obligations any more then I’m paying for your hospitalization if you break your leg and I didn’t.

Helping people out doesn’t have to benefit you personally, even though forgiving a teeny tiny portion of student loans will actually help everyone.

Have all the opinions you want. But I’m not being quiet if they suck.

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark I can live with that. All good discussion.

Further to our chat, if you and I both agree to pay health insurance premiums and I break my leg, our collective agreed to and paid for stockpile of funds (coverage) pays the hospital.

If I don't have insurance, the hospital treats me and builds the cost into it's fees that are recouped by charging future customers, likely resulting in higher fees & insurance premiums for those who do pay.

Regardless, healthcare/insurance is another scam.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan If we go to universal healthcare, it remains the same. Your lack of interest in sharing the burden is disturbing.

MJ Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan @TonyStark

“If we can cancel trillions in taxes for a handful of billionaires, why can't we cancel student loan debt for millions of Americans?” - Robert Reich

We can. And it’s a drop in the bucket.

SteveBologna Jun 16, 2023

@MJ @HarryCallahan @TonyStark Unless those college students want to pool their resources and buy a dozen or so folks in Congress it isn’t going to happen. That’s what our owners did. Vote Blue

Harry Callahan Jun 16, 2023

@MJ @TonyStark The rich must be forced to pay their taxes.

MJ Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark @HarryCallahan No kidding. That still doesn’t mean student debt shouldn’t be forgiven or people who need internet shouldn’t get help or anything else. I have bigger priorities than this so that’s it for me.

RevJeber Jun 16, 2023

@MJ @HarryCallahan @TonyStark @FrankFrank
Those students will likely do more good for society with their education than the millionaires with their money.

Heimdall 🏳️‍🌈Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan @TonyStark Should government provide money to expand internet where providers elect not to provide any, like Black communities, Tribal communities, and poor communities ? One word answer: YES.

Urban Hermit Jun 17, 2023

@Heimdall @HarryCallahan @TonyStark
Personal experience: I told Comcast, when I permanently shut off my home internet (I'm going phone only now), that I found it too expensive. They decided to start sending me weekly fliers for the federally subsidized internet, where, if I qualified, they charge me $20/month for a 5GB cap (!!!?!) And then charge the Feds the extra $50/ month they normally charge. Infuriated me. Scamming the government is still scamming me.

🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥Jun 16, 2023

@HarryCallahan @TonyStark 🥥 I for one believe that #corporations should pay the government -- US -- back a fair percentage of the profits they make using taxpayer-finded technology. Also, eat the rich -- with taxes.🥥

Army Girl Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark not gonna help if it's not affordable. My rural internet costs more than my electric.

Berkeley Bruce Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark Can’t find a Republican plan that helps people no matter where I look unless it’s tax cuts for the 1 percent.

Nick Kelly Jun 16, 2023

@BruceBanner @TonyStark Capital gonna capital.

🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark 🥥 "Bringing high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities, military bases, and Tribal lands is something that will help everyone."
True statement, as far as it goes.
But there are lots of people who don't want "THOSE" people to have access to the things that make life better for all, because, "Nobody gave it to ME, so why should my $ be used to help THEM."
There are none so blind as those who cannot see beyond the end of their nose. 🥥

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@JStatePost True, sadly true. I’m glad we’re not like that.

Darnell Clayton

@TonyStark @SteveRogers 👏🏾 👏🏾 👏🏾 Yeah, it’s frustrating that this was not a priority. I am blessed with a gigabit connection (1 gigabyte or 1024 megabytes per second download), but I had to repeatedly ask AT&T for it as I was on DSL (18 megabytes per second) at the time.

Ironically, they only upgraded me to a gigabit connection out of fear of losing me to #Google. Go figure! 🤷🏾‍♂️

smeg Jun 16, 2023

@TonyStark Don't give it to states. They'll hand it off to telecoms without any accountability.

Offer it to co-ops, offer it to communities to create telecom coops. Or to power co-ops. They have proven track records on serving their communities. Telecoms don't.

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@smeg It’s not going to states necessarily.

The following entities may apply to this program:

“State governments
Political subdivisions of states
Tribal governments
Technology companies
Electric utilities
Utility cooperatives
Public utility districts
Telecommunications companies
Telecommunications cooperatives
Nonprofit foundations
Nonprofit corporations
Nonprofit institutions
Nonprofit associations”
1/2

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

“Regional planning councils
Native entities
Economic development authorities
Partnerships of two or more entities described above”

Perfectly okay to find out details prior to assuming. 2/2

packy Jun 16, 2023

@smeg @TonyStark Unfortunately, many states that have residents who are under-served by internet providers passed laws over a decade ago making it illegal for municipalities to provide broadband, so telecoms are the only option. Best legislation the telecoms ever bought.

https://broadbandnow.com/report/municipal-broadband-roadblocks

Municipal Broadband Remains Roadblocked In 16 States - BroadbandNow

For decades, municipal broadband operations have been subject to a minefield of restrictions and barriers designed to make the prospect of establishing or maintaining a community broadband network costly, difficult, and unsustainable. The Biden administration initially pledged that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program would prioritize community networks to bridge the digital divide. … Continued

BroadbandNow

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

@packy @smeg I also answered this but the money isn’t limited to telecoms, either. It’s got a lot of options including telecoms and really, they should be providing the service everywhere.

Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program | Internet for All

https://www.internetforall.gov/program/enabling-middle-mile-broadband-infrastructure-program

Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program | Internet for All

The Middle Mile Grant Program was created to expand middle mile infrastructure and reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the Internet backbone. It will also increase the resilience of existing Internet infrastructure by strengthening existing routes along expansionary paths. This program specifically directs up to $980 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of Middle Mile infrastructure projects.

JohnW Jun 17, 2023

@TonyStark I just hope the focus is on minority communities and poorer neighborhoods first.

Samhain Night Jun 17, 2023

@TonyStark Does this mean we'll get internet back in my neck of the woods? We've been using the cell signal since the local cable & internet provider closed down.

Java1959 Jun 17, 2023

@TonyStark Let's hope they use it this time. Every other time the ISP's have ended up pocketing the money.