Mastodawn

Tony, Pretty Much Jun 16, 2023

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

@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.