An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
FCC Memphis “Field Meeting”
Last night, the FCC held one of their ‘field meetings‘ in Memphis (no audio up so far). I heard a brief report last night on the news, and expected to find something in the Memphis newspaper about it this morning. I was wrong. There was nothing, at least, not that I’ve found. I would assume the paper sent a reporter to cover what should be a big story, but I guess since the Commercial Appeal can find no fault with whatever this administration does, they didn’t consider it newsworthy? You know what they say about ‘assuming’, right? sigh…
Since I was unable to attend, I asked for a “report” from someone who was able to go what he thought of the whole shindig. Needless to say, I wasn’t all that surprised by the outcome.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
Panelists:
Mark McCormick- Veteran Affairs Services
Madelin Taylor- NAACP
Michael Ragame- Connected TN
Diane Polly- Metropolitan Inner-Faith Assc.
Tim Morema- Center for Rural Strategies
Blair Levin- National Broadband Task Force
Mignon Clyburn- Commissioner FCC
Michael Copps- Commissioner FCC
Wink Dowman? Shelby County Sheriff’s Office-Public Safety
Format:
Commissioner Clyburn introduced everyone and welcomed the public to the session. A video from Julius Genachowski was played thanking Memphis and talking about the importance of broadband. “We need to ensure access for Jobs (training and finding jobs)”. Broadband will connect everyone in the country.
Sounds rather noble, doesn’t it. I’d like to take issue with on thing though. Experience is a great teacher. Sitting on the computer is good for a few things, but when it comes right down to it, you can only learn so much by taking classes on it.
Dr. Benjamin Hooks comments:
Critical for civil participation.
Broadband is a basic necessity, shapes our today and tomorrow.
Broadband will improve the quality of live for every citizen.
Broadband is the key to maintaining economic leadership and competitiveness for the country.
We need a roadmap to employ broadband penetration.
A basic necessity? I was under the impression that shelter, food, and clothing were basic necessities, not high speed internet.
Michael Capps:
Stated that he is still working on media reform to give more ownership to minorities and women.
Broadband needs to be seen as a civil right. If people do not have broadband they will be cut off because everything will be on broadband, tv, jobs, etc.
Broadband is the solution for everything, healthcare, smartgrids, etc.
He compared broadband to the invention of the printing press.
Just how is “broadband the solution for everything”? And the comparison to the printing press is more than just a bit off base!
Joe Townes (state representative):
Broadband is the new social currency.
It will increase access to university education.
Access will grant full digital citizenship/failure to do so will be a social barrier.
What the blazes is ’social currency’? I’d love to take a few classes on the internet, but I can’t afford them, so I read books. You know those things, made of paper, have printed words, can be found in a public library at no cost to the reader. Well, unless you fail to return them, then there could be an issue. To be perfectly honest, I don’t find a whole lot of folks who have a college diploma to be all that smart anyway. Well, unless of course, they are specialized, like physicians, and even then, many I have spoken to aren’t all that informed about the world in general. So, I’m guessing, because I have high speed internet, I’m one of the really SMART people, and am granted ‘digital citizenship’? What a goofy thing to say!
Blair Levin- said nothing of importance
Honestly, I don’t any of the previous speakers said much of import either, but that’s just me.
Tim Marema comments:
FCC should use the following principles in formulating its policy:
1. Available does not equal affordable (compared rural electricity when it first started)
2. Innovation- remember the missed opportunity from UHF
3. Local ownership is needed for the Spectrum
4. Reform the universal service fund
5. Net neutrality- democracy demands no less.
Uh….the American people are the most innovated, when free to be so, and with more and more government intervention, are actually losing the will to create new ideas. If there are local folks who are willing to step up, have the know how, I’d say let ‘em, and get the hell out of the way! What the heck is the ‘universal service fund’? And you can blow that ‘net neutrality’ outcher wazoo!
Diane Polly comments:
Seniors are more worried about digital conversion and are scared of the technology. Hard to get them as a group to want broadband. Income levels are prohibitive.
I know a few seniors who would dispute some of this woman’s comments. For one thing, a lot of seniors already have access. Those I know, who aren’t on the internet, don’t WANT to. As one lady put it, “I have lived all my life without the damn thing, why do I need it now?” And, once again, if income levels are ‘prohibitive’, there is the public library, and even some senior centers have computers.
Michael Ramage comment:
Cost of the computer should be a factor to consider, wants to give computers to everyone, “the focus is to get a computer into everyone’s hands.”
Has anyone been to a Best Buy lately? The cost of computers has come down quite significantly in recent years. You can find one for less than $300! Oh, but not everyone has that much to spend on a computer. Here’s a thought….save it up! It’s amazing how fast the change from the bottom of your purse adds up to a significant amount. I don’t believe tax money should be spent to make sure anyone has a computer!
Madeline Taylor comments – broadband promises:
1. Education- can extend homebound students, increase limited access to library
2. Healthcare- allows for home diagnosis, treatment, counseling
3. Commerce- shopping and selling for homebound folks
4. Improved government access- improve access to services, speaking with incarcerated
5. Employment- only the best jobs are available for application on-line.
I can understand the ‘homebound students’, but I take major issue with the ‘health care’ nonsense. You can’t diagnose diddly through a computer. There’s also this little thing called a telephone for ordering stuff, and if you want to talk to low level putz from the government, that ringy dingy works fairly well too. Yeah yeah….being on hold for hours on end is a real pain in the butt, but perhaps if instead of sitting around and filing their nails, an actual human being would pick up said ringy dingy once in a while, efficiency would improve. And I’d really like to know why the ‘incarcerated’ have computers? And no, the best jobs are not only available online. I don’t suppose making phone calls, and pounding the pavement, like in the olden days, is acceptable anymore.
Wink Dowman:
Broadband will save tax dollars because public safety will be able to do more and pay less. Need the 700mhz band.
Uh…whut? Now, you know full well that it will be tax dollars that will be footing the bill to provide the entire country computer and broadband, so how is that going to be a saving? As for public safety, I was under the impression that police departments were already equipped with all the bells and whistles.
These comments took over an hour leaving only 40 minutes for comment.
Individuals in Attendance who asked questions:
Mississippi Grass Roots
Bomer and Associates
Black Business Association of Memphis
Westwood Neighborhood Association
Viewpoints expressed:
Several individuals stepped forward with a conservative viewpoint, FCC stay out, don’t pick winning technologies, auction Spectrum bands, how much is this going to cost, don’t use regulatory panels to suppress ideas.
I really wish I had been able to attend, Memphis is not just down the road for me though. As is the norm for any current governmental agency, they will NOT take into account any opposing viewpoints, and will continue on their merry way, doing what they damn well please, even if it puts the taxpayer into the poor house. I’d honestly like to know where in the Constitution it says anyone has a ‘right’ to broadband internet access?
The Declaration of Independence says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” That means we are all equal in our right to PURSUE happiness, not that it’s guaranteed.
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Once again, we are free to pursue what we, as individuals, need to secure our own success, or failure.
A huge thanks to Mr Anonymous (who put it all in context….”gimme, gimme, gimme“), for providing the information!
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Another interesting thing to note is where broadband is coming in. If you look at uverse in WI you will see that permission to put in uverse went to Milwaukee before it came to much of Waukesha. The richest parts of the state still do not have the product because certain benchmarks need to be met first. What company would deny the best paying customers a product until they make sure the welfare areas get it first?
What happened to free enterprise??