Back in June, a
Senate committee approved a bill that would essentially give the White House the power to shut down the internet in a time of "national emergency". By what definition of "national emergency" is anyone's guess.
As we know, nothing from the government comes without some kind of price. When the government hands out stimulus money, you can guarantee that at some point, the feds will ask for something in return. Reminds me of that classic scene from The Godfather...
Quinn's New “Infrastructure” Project On
September 18th, 2010, Governor Quinn announced the start of a state
wide internet infrastructure program funded by both federal stimulus and
state tax dollars. The program calls for installation of high-speed
fiber-optic broadband infrastructure in nine Illinois counties,
including LaSalle, Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Jo Daviess , Carroll,
Stephenson, Winnebago, and Boone. This single project will cost a total
of $70 million, including $17 million from Illinois Jobs Now and $46
million from the Stimulus package . This pricy package is expected to
create a whopping 485 jobs. This is just one of 17 different fiber-optic
infrastructure projects planned for the state of Illinois, and is only a
picture of what is happening in many other states simultaneously. “Investing
in state-of-the-art information and communication networks is a great
way to strengthen our economy,” Governor Quinn said. “Illinois has won
over $240 million in federal broadband funding to date, funds that will
connect Illinois homes and businesses, and put thousands of people back
to work.” This project has been billed as internet service for
rural areas. In reality, even in the most rural of areas, internet
access can be obtained through satellite dish via private companies.
There are multiple providers in this state who provide internet access
through these means. It is also curious that Quinn has allotted $5
million in cash from the state budget for a similar project to be
completed in the city of Chicago. While the grant money is
currently going to a handful of individual companies and municipalities
for installation, we are not currently aware of the strings that may be
attached to this new service though its funding means. This huge project
could potentially create a new internet service provider on the
market-the federal government. Calvin Coolidge said it best, "No plan of
centralization has ever been adopted which did not result in
bureaucracy, tyranny, inflexibility, reaction, and decline." Another disturbing thought: what will happen to the small business owners who currently provide internet access? Perhaps
the worst detail of all, this project takes a pile of cash from an
already in-the-red Illinois budget. The expected state contribution is
$48 million. You can read the regional breakdown for the distribution
at: http://www2.illinois.gov/broadband/Pages/StateCommitmentsforRd2.aspx For more stories like this one, you can subscribe to the Conservative Magazine of Illinois at: www.raisetherepublic.com So what control can we expect from Springfield or DC regarding this expansion of internet infrastructure? Only time will tell I guess...
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