I've seen many projects such as John described done very well --- with private funding! -RickG
But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years. Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789 On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 3:58 PM, <rea...@muddyfrogwater.us> wrote: > You're so right. Anywhere we can find a child suffering the ravages of > catastrophe, unlimited taxpayer dollars are called for, to make his life > easier. > > After we've all lost our homes due to foreclosure and our businesses are > closed due to everyone else being broke, these poor children will STILL be > happy. Then we just have Congress bail us ALL out, and buy all new homes > and new cars and new internet services. > > Cripes. > > My heart aches at every person's misfortune...whether it's the disabled man > who lives next to me with the wife who has suddenly had to be hospitalized > for psychosis or the kid in my youth group who has her seizure disorder go > wildly out of control, or any of the millions of tragedies that occur > around > the globe every year. This does NOT in the slightest justify indebting > every taxpayer the point that he can NEVER get out of debt nor his > children. > > Sorry. I am in complete disagreement with you. > > > > > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > <insert witty tagline here> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Scrivner" <j...@scrivner.com> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2009 10:33 PM > Subject: [WISPA] It can mean everything > > > >I used to say our government had no place in broadband. One thing happened > > that changed my thinking to some degree. A small rural town called > > Bluford, > > Illinois used to have no broadband until a few years ago. At that time I > > never used 900 MHz gear because it was out of my budget. Bluford was full > > of > > trees. It is a very poor community which led me to believe they could not > > afford the high price of 900 MHz CPEs. Basically Bluford defined the > > "Digital Divide". My attitude toward USDA grants was "They should stay > out > > of this but if someone will get the money it might as well be me". I shot > > for the moon. I budgeted for Waverider 900 MHz (The only 900 MHz gear > > available at that time) and a new tower. I asked for free installs for > all > > residents. I ran surveys of every person in town. In short I did > > everything > > the USDA required of the grant and then some. I even went to broadband > > conventions and told others how to apply for grants. > > > > Then a miracle happened. > > > > My grant was funded. I received $310K to build service into Bluford. It > > was > > the nicest setup I had ever done. The people of Bluford were ecstatic. > > Over > > 60% of all residents bought service. We built a free community technology > > center at the local grade school. We gave free broadband to the schools, > > the > > village hall, the fire department, etc. as a condition of the grant. > > Bluford > > was doing great. Still, this had not really changed my thinking that > Uncle > > Sam should keep out of the broadband business. > > > > One child did change my mind. > > > > An 8 year old boy in Bluford got leukemia shortly after we setup the new > > broadband there. Dad and son, alone, faced the dark days ahead. These > > people > > were poor folks facing the horrors of cancer. Despite all this adversity > > and > > gloom the boy had only one major mental obstacle which really cut to the > > core for him. He could not face the prospects of having to be held back a > > year of school. You see, he was forced into isolation from killing off > his > > immune system as a consequence of the bone marrow being destroyed and > > replaced. He desparately wanted to finish school with his class. The > > schoool > > called me and asked if we could help with the broadband grant program we > > had > > won. We did. We bought a pan-tilt-zoom camera and set it up on a roll > > around > > cart along with a speakerphone in his classroom. We installed broadband > in > > his home for free using 900 MHz radios to bust through the trees. The boy > > attended classes virtually through this system. He beat his cancer. He > > also > > finished his year with his fellow students. > > > > How much is this worth? > > > > It seems to me that this particular broadband application is much like > the > > "Priceless" description we see in those VISA commercials. But let's try > to > > put a dollar amount on it. Is it worth $310K to be able to do this? Is it > > possible that this one boy's hope alone is worth $310K and the fact that > > the > > whole town now has broadband is a bonus? > > > > Maybe it is ok to let our leaders lead for a change. > > > > I have seen many bad things come from bad government in my 43 years on > > this > > earth. I have been fortunate enough to see some good things too. Until > > recently I thought cynicism was going to rule the day forever in regard > to > > government. I thought patrotism was dead. I thought the American Dream > had > > faded and spoiled into a nightmare. Sadly the government has done much to > > amplify those feelings. Regardless of your politics you have to be > > worried. > > Maybe it is ok to have hope too. Maybe we should try for once to say that > > we > > will take our leader's lead and try to stimulate our economy through > > broadband deployment. I am willing to give it a shot. Maybe this will not > > work but maybe it will. What if success or failure of this program is > more > > dependent on how we make use of this program than whether or not the > > program > > is right or wrong? This is possibly the most unique opportunity of our > > lives. The government is basically telling us they want us to save the > > country. They are opening up the bank and saying to us, "What would you > do > > to make broadband a stimulating force to aid this country's economy if > > money > > was not a barrier to your success?" I am going to have to step up and be > > part of the solution. I hope all of you do the same. > > > > John Scrivner > > President - Mt. Vernon. Net, Inc. > > Trweasurer - WISPA > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 11:16 PM, <rea...@muddyfrogwater.us> wrote: > > > >> Not me. If it's wrong, it's wrong. I'm not going to say "it should > not > >> be > >> done" and then go after the money for myself. I'd have to hide my face > >> forever. Money comes and goes. Conscience is forever. > >> > >> > >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >> <insert witty tagline here> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Marlon K. Schafer" <o...@odessaoffice.com> > >> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > >> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:11 PM > >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] What does this mean to wisps? > >> > >> > >> > Me? I'm gonna go for as much grant money as I can get. What else can > >> > we > >> > do? > >> > > >> > marlon > >> > > >> >> > >> >> Well, whatcha gonna do? > >> >> > >> >> > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > >> > http://signup.wispa.org/ > >> > > >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > > >> > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > >> > > >> > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > >> > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > >> > > >> > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! > >> http://signup.wispa.org/ > >> > >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > >> > >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > >> > >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > >> > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > > http://signup.wispa.org/ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
