|
|  |
|
|
|
| |
| Mar 05, 2009 1:21 pm |
|
re: The Economic Stimulus (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) Contains Billions For Rural Broad |
Kurt Schweitzer
| |
Michael,
To me the issue isn't links in a post, but rather YOUR opinion on why the article at the other end of the link (or included in the post, in this case) should be read.
What's YOUR take on "Billions For Rural Broadband"? Do you feel this is an inappropriate use of government money? Or do you see it as development necessary to bring the U.S. up to the degree of broadband coverage found in Europe or Japan?
I really couldn't care less what someone outside this group thinks - I'm more interested in discussions among the people here. If you're going to raise an issue, stake a position on it, or at least say something like "I'll weigh in with my position in a bit, but first I want to hear what the rest of you think".
As for the article, I think it sucks. It says "Billions For Rural Broadband" in the title, but the article itself says nothing about how much money is going to that purpose. Seven billion dollars would still translate to only 1% of the stimulus package - is that a fair allocation?
One nice thing about America is the high degree of mobility people have. If having broadband is important to you, you can move to where it's available. On the other hand, if rural solitude is important you can move there. Should taxpayer money be spent to run a miles-long cable to a single house, just so it can have a high-speed connection to the Internet?
In the Great Depression the Rural Electrification Act was passed to provide electricity to isolated homes at taxpayer expense. On the other hand there wasn't a "Rural Plumbing Act" to do the same thing for water or sewer services. I find that interesting, since having clean water and sanitary facilities is generally considered more important than having power for developing impoverished economies. Do we assume that rural America is impoverished?
"Retailers, who are increasingly branching (or moving) into the internet marketplace due to its inherent efficiency, will have a larger market in which to compete."
I take issue with this statement. I am a Retailer, and I have discovered that I am NOT in business to serve the world at large. My business exists to serve my LOCAL marketplace. By focusing on a local market I can deliver EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE, but if I were to try to compete on the Internet the best I could provide is adequate service. My business model would have to change greatly - to the point of selling different products and closing down an entire department - in order to provide exceptional service to Internet customers. And if I did that my chances of being successful would diminish greatly.
There. Now there's enough opinion in this thread for it to take off. Let the (possibly heated) discussion begin!
Kurt Schweitzer
Urban Village ScootersPrivate Reply to Kurt Schweitzer (new win) |
|
| |
|
