It is worth noting that the Biden admin passed a $42B package of broadband rollout funds in 2021, and then connected ZERO people over the next few years.
This is because special interest groups saddled it with environmental, union, and DEI requirements that were so onerous that nobody was able to actually get/use the funds.
Yes, Democrats plan to do the right thing, but frankly they should be penalized for boondoggles like this. Until the party can sideline its special interest groups to get things done, it's not as simple as "Democrats good, GOP bad."
[1] https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/the-42-...
Trump administration illegally impounded the funding. This has been disallowed for decades but sadly the republican political appointees at the supreme court is allowing him.
My point is that democrats don’t get credit and votes for improving internet for rural areas and republicans don’t get punished for destroying progress. The fact that you are criticizing democrats so harsh and think trump breaking the laws doesn’t matter just prove my points.
> When states use the federal subsidy to provide access in areas without internet, they no longer have incentives to confirm if the technology being deployed is appropriate for the area or if the customer base needs and wants what is being provided.
It's actually the opposite. When states use federal subsidies they have the freedom to consider the technology that is actually best for the area instead of just what is cheap enough for the state to afford without better help.
When they are limited to whatever is cheapest now they may have to pick something that meets the present needs of rural areas but will be inadequate in a few years.
Even when it was created, Starlink was obviously the best option for quickly linking rural America to the Internet. That's obvious because that's EXACTLY HOW rural America has actually been linking itself to the Internet, despite it not being covered by the program. In ten years, that's probably still how they'll get online.
I am a Democrat, have been since I could vote, and refuse to vote red for as long as MAGA owns the GOP. It's still exhausting to watch my party flounder and give in to its worst instincts.
Ref: https://youtu.be/NcZxaFfxloo?t=990
When you have tons of paperwork and ZERO deployments (not exaggerating), there's nothing to revert.. just a lot to be disappointed by.
Delaware, Louisiana, and Nevada had selected contractors and passed final federal review and were ready to start construction as soon as the funds were disbursed.
Another 40 had contractors selected and were just waiting for final federal review to complete and funds to be disbursed. If the program had not been changed by the Trump administration most of them would have had construction starting this year.
All large efforts like this take a few years to go from initial passing of the law that enables them to construction actually starting.
Another good quote: “It’s almost as if they had designed this machine to make sure that people in rural areas _never_ get broadband…”
Ooh, Ezra: “This is the Biden administration’s process for it’s own bill. They wanted this to happen. This is how liberal government works now.”
When Democratic Party controlled the federal government, they tried to. It is generally hard to do because it requires funding and passing laws. Another difficulty is that voters don’t reward Democratic Party for their efforts.
It is very easy for Republican Party to revert the changes. Moreover their donors reward the republican politicians for their efforts and their voters don’t punish them for their efforts.