The Internet was invented with funding by DARPA (the D stands for Defense, I'm not sure what the rest stands for) as was modem tecfhnology. Government funded for defense, just as the national highway system such as I94 was funded. In this sense, the spread of either wired or wireless connections throughout the City of St. Paul are a continuation of technology developed on our federal tax dime.
City treated water (ie St Paul Water Utility Treatment Plant) was first distributed so that typhoid epidemics of the late 1800s and early 1900s would stop. City sewage (ie Pig's Eye) was first treated so that a common conveyance , the Mississippi River, would stop being a vector for disease and other contagions, would stop being a 'dead zone' that presently supports aquatic life. Though some of these functions are now regional, they were developed to protect the health and welfare of the community. That seem to me to be a proper function of our city government.
Mike Schoenberg MacGroveland
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Funny Dennis other than being totally wrong you are just wrong. All of those things weren't the government "butting in," they were bailed out by government. Trains, planes and automobiles all heavily subsidized by government from the start. Cable wants a monopoly and wants to have access to city streets, alleys, right of ways, that is why there is a fee. Just like Ma Bell wouldn't have gotten off of the ground but for government support in the access to right-of-ways.
Anyway, back to the subject... the city will do well to follow Minneapolis and see what problems a municiple system might have. You don't have to be first. The City did very well in regulating cable by not being the first one to sign up.
J.M.O.N.T.O.M.E.P.P.O.F.
Chuck Repke Ward 2
-----Original Message----- From: Dennis Tester <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Sent: Tue, 3 May 2005 14:41:11 -0500 Subject: RE: Re: [StPaul] Wired St. Paul
"Funny, when you think about it, it seems that government often has had a role in building (or kickstarting) previous networks. Think water, sewer, bus, cable, phone(?), electric(?). Why do I suspect that the current minimal (anti-?) government climate will cause us to miss this opportunity?"
Because government wouldn't be government if it weren't constantly looking for things to tax and regulate. Notice that none of the examples you mentioned were invented or created by government. They only butted in so they could control its distribution for the purposes of regulation and taxation in in the name of "the people."
Government's view of the economy: "If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidise it." - Ronald Reagan
Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland
Dennis, you are right that these examples (." water, sewer," ) were not invented by government.----- ------- Original Message ------- ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] Sent: Tue, 3 May 2005 -0700 (PDT) 12:10:35
---snip---
Wouldn't it be better to join with Minneapolisand
create a single system with a single payment that
will work in both places? Charlie Swope Ward 1
Charlie, (replying to a direct message)
Your point is right on.
What we're building is a network. Metcalf's law states that the value (or "power") of a network increases in proportion to the square of the number of nodes on that network. [Its worth mentioning that this is a rule-of-thumb kind of law like Moore's law (processor speeds (density) double every 18 months)
rather than a law of physics.] As an example, compare the Internet to old-style AOL or Compuserve. The Internet was open and had more nodes (think web addresses) and quickly overwhelmed the closed off subscriber-only AOL. So a network that includes Mpls & St. Paul is "worth more" than 2 separate networks.
If only there was a regional governmental body that
spanned the whole Twin Cities metro area. Ideally,
that body would have experience building and maintaining a network of some kind. Funny, when you think about it, it seems that government often has had a role in building (or kickstarting) previous networks. Think water, sewer, bus, cable, phone(?), electric(?). Why do I suspect that the current minimal (anti-?) government climate will cause us to miss this opportunity?
Kevin Frogtown W1P4
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We had a perfectly good system when flushing the night-wastes meant throwing the contents of
the chamber-pot out the window, and sewage flowed freely in the streets. You had to own a well in order
to get drinking water that wouldn't kill you. I think one of the first tyrannies of local government had to be providing a community well for safe drinking water. Its been downhill ever since for public welfare.
Stop Gubmint Kleptocracy! Fight for Freedom! Bring back Street-Sewage!
Bob Treumann, Como.
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