Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Mark Turner <jmarkturner AT gmail.com>]

Good morning, INWers. Last week, Sen. Clodfelter called those who oppose 
handing over our state's broadband future to Big Telecom "crazies." 
Please call your state senator today and tell them that fostering 
broadband competition in North Carolina is anything but crazy.

The Senate is due to take up the bill again this evening at 7 PM. 
Today's the day.

Thanks!

Mark Turner
Chief Troublemaker
Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Anti-Muni BBND Senate Vote at 7pm(S1209)- Call Your Senator
-STRIP OFF THE MORATORIUM!
Date:   Mon, 7 Jun 2010 08:21:31 -0700 (PDT)
From:   catharine Rice <ricecb AT yahoo.com>
Reply-To:       nc-public-broadband AT googlegroups.com
To:     nc-public-broadband AT googlegroups.com



Please email or call your Senator one last time (find them HERE
<http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/reports/countyRepresentation.pl?Chamber=Senate>by 

County name) and ask him or her to please vote tonight to STRIP OFF THE
MUNI BBND MORATORIUM
As you've heard, Senators Hoyle and Clodfelter forced a "shotgun
wedding" between North Carolina's cable/telephone incumbents and the
North Carolina League of Cities on Wednesday. S1209 now is a Task Force
bill to examine the issues but it includes a moratorium on all Local Gvt
Commission approvals of Muni BBND projects until August 2011, unless
your community qualifies for an exemption.  Problem is almost all of
North Carolina's Communities DO NOT QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION.  The Final
Senate Vote is tonight at 7pm.  Please email or give your Senator one
last call (find them HERE
<http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/reports/countyRepresentation.pl?Chamber=Senate>by 

County name) and ask him or her to please vote to STRIP OFF THE MUNI
BBND MORATORIUM TONIGHT!
Then listen here <http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Audio/Audio.html>  at 7pm
(click on SENATE CHAMBERS) to see if some members of the Senate push
back against handing control of our state's bbnd future to Time Warner
Cable and AT&T. We need your help!


    Broadband Efforts Keep Local Officials in Raleigh


    Sunday, June 06, 2010 12:00 AM |

    By Shelley Smith

    Salisbury officials made another trip to Raleigh last week to fight
    for the city's right to provide broadband Internet service and
    promote the importance for any North Carolina municipality to be
    able to do the same thing.

    Mayor Susan Kluttz, Assistant to the City Manager Doug Paris, Access
    16 Manager Jason Parks and Broadband Services Director Mike Crowell
    made a trip Wednesday to Raleigh for a final review of Senate Bill
    1209 by the Senate Finance Committee.

    With some changes, the committee adopted the bill and it is now
    scheduled to go to the Senate for a final reading Monday. The House
    of Representatives will take it up after that.

    "For three years we've been fighting bills in Raleigh that have been
    run by the Cable Association," Paris said. In 2009, a proposed bill
    that would keep municipalities from competing with cable companies
    on broadband services was sent for study by Senate subcommittees.

    The first part of the bill that was adopted Wednesday is to continue
    the 2009 study of communication systems owned and operated by local
    governments.

    "We're confident if they take the time to study it, they'll realize
    how important it is to our state," Paris said.

    The second part of the bill, Paris said, directs the Local
    Government Commission to be more selective in its approval of
    municipal broadband debt during the study period.

    A third section of the bill exempts any city or town already in the
    broadband business. Any community that has completed a feasibility
    study is also exempt, as is any city that's a likely possibility for
    Google's fiber project.

    During the meeting Wednesday, no one was allowed to speak, but
    Salisbury officials listened closely to the proceedings.

    During discussion, several senators expressed their concern with
    broadband access for small communities.

    "It is very important to keep an open playing field, to ensure
    robust competition, upgrades and competitive entry into this area,
    and really bring access to everybody," said Sen. Joe Sam Queen, a
    Democrat. "We need to be mindful that North Carolina protects the
    interests of its citizens in this incredibly important
    infrastructure for the future.

    "We need to be very mindful of slowing down the rollout, or putting
    up impediments to competition."

    Sen. William R. Purcell asked fellow Democratic Sen. David W. Hoyle,
    who introduced the bill, where the small communities stood.

    "What assurance do we have that the big companies will not overlook
    the small, less profitable markets, our small communities," he asked.

    Hoyle replied: "We're not going to get broadband to everybody in the
    state anytime soon."

    Purcell said everyone should have access to broadband.

    "I hope that in the end we do keep small communities in mind because
    they need the broadband as much as the larger cities do," he said.

    Kluttz agrees with that.

    "As vice chair of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition,
    I very much disagree" with Hoyle's comment, she said. "I believe
    each and every person in North Carolina deserves this opportunity.

    "I was shocked to hear somebody in the state legislature say that.
    There's no question the technology is our future."

    She also said she was "appalled" that municipalities had to jump
    through so many hoops to better their economies.

    "Nationally, I have heard from President Obama's administration, two
    years in a row, that municipal broadband is one of the ways the
    economy is going to recover," she said. "The president has offered
    $7.2 billion in stimulus for broadband.

    "Our national government is promoting this, and, at the same time,
    we have a state government trying to put restrictions on it. I think
    our state should be incentivizing this."

    Despite Hoyle's comments, Kluttz said she was happy with the changes
    to the bill.

    "It's really good news to us," she said. "I am very grateful to our
    local delegation, Rep. Lorene Coates and Sen. Andrew Brock. They
    have been supportive of us throughout this and they understand why
    it's important to us."

    Kluttz said she and other Salisbury officials will be in Raleigh
    when the bill goes to the House of Representatives.

    "We don't have a choice and we will continue to monitor this," she
    said. "Anytime it is mentioned, I plan to be there."

    http://www.salisburypost.com/News/060610-Fiber-update-mayor-kluttz


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