[Advisors] Re: [CommunityInformaticsCanada] FW: [governance] US: FCC proposes large public WiFi networks; tech, telecom giants take sides
James Van Leeuwen
jvl at ventus.ca
Wed, 6 Feb 2013 01:26:40 -0700
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Gary,
we are going to be raising taxes here in Alberta, because the dummies =
who run this place (voters) are finally realizing they can't have their =
cake and eat it too.
And if anyone mentioned the notion of making universal access a right, =
it wasn't me.=20
It's a notion fraught with numerous and intractable legal perils, and we =
literally can't afford to go there.=20
So, good thing it's irrelevant.=20
We are dealing here with a rather simple matter of collective =
self-interest, or at least, enlightened self-interest.=20
Which gets to the very heart of the issue:=20
Lack of enlightened self-interest on the part of far too many Canadians.
The essential value of our public infrastructure is its utility in =
meeting our collective economic and social needs and interests more =
efficiently and effectively, including all of the needs and interests =
you rattled off in your reply.
It has enabled us to achieve far greater security and prosperity than we =
could have otherwise, to the benefit of the great majority of Canadians =
past and present (but not all, and more importantly, what we have is not =
sustainable).=20
This foundational economic knowledge seems desperately lacking in Canada =
today, to our growing detriment.
What do our youth consciously understand of the costs and benefits of =
the roads and sidewalks they use?
What do their parents and grandparents understand?
What do they understand of social responsibility?
The impact of broadband on the efficiency and effectiveness of our =
economy will not be incremental.=20
It will be transformative, and it won't take legislation to affect the =
transformation.
It will take learning and leadership.=20
There is an initiative underway to provide what you've identified as the =
missing piece of the equation for 'universal' free access, namely, a =
compelling "argument for the greater common good".
Even with this in hand, it will indeed be challenging to convince many =
Canadians that public interests will do a better job than private =
interests.=20
Thankfully, industry makes it easier for us by the day:
wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/06/shaw-rogers/
I really wish we didn't need any more convincing than this, but =
apparently, a lot of us do.=20
We are no longer the nation that built this amazing legacy of public =
infrastructure that has brought Canada its unprecedented prosperity.
Frankly, I don't know what nation we are today.=20
I'd just like us to be working on becoming the nation we want to be.=20
JvL
On 2013-02-05, at 11:09 PM, Gary W Kenward <garykenward@eastlink.ca> =
wrote:
>=20
> "We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge you =
for broadband?
>=20
> Sidewalks are paid for by taxes. So people are charged, whether the =
want sidewalks or not. Sidewalks are, like all things in life, not free.=20=
>=20
> Given current spending cutbacks, which government services would you =
suggest people are willing to give up in order to provide universal free =
access to broadband? Which issue do you feel "boomers and seniors" care =
more about? Health care, unemployment, pensions, public safety, defence, =
the environment, education, or free access to the Internet? Food, =
shelter and safety will always take precedence. Even with younger =
generations.=20
>=20
> Free communications via mail, telephony, radio, television and carrier =
pigeon has never been considered a universal right. So there is a =
remarkable precedent to be set.
>=20
> What's missing in much of the current dialogue around universal free =
access is an argument for the greater common good that convinces the =
majority that its worth government intervention - and spending. That =
truly convinces the majority that governments can do a better job then =
the private sector. Given recent trends to privatize - with voter =
support - this will be difficult.
>=20
> Gary
>=20
> Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose
>=20
> On 2013-02-05, at 5:16, James Van Leeuwen <jvl@ventus.ca> wrote:
>=20
>> "We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge =
you for broadband?
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dus-ascii"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
"><div>Gary,</div><div><br></div><div>we are going to be raising taxes =
here in Alberta, because the dummies who run this place (voters) are =
finally realizing they can't have their cake and eat it =
too.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>And if anyone mentioned the =
notion of making universal access a right, it wasn't =
me. </div><div><br></div><div>It's a notion fraught with numerous =
and intractable legal perils, and we literally can't afford to go =
there. </div><div><br></div><div>So, good thing it's =
irrelevant. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>We are dealing =
here with a rather simple matter of collective self-interest, or at =
least, <i>enlightened</i> =
self-interest. </div><div><br></div><div>Which gets to the very =
heart of the issue: </div><div><br></div><div>Lack of enlightened =
self-interest on the part of far too many =
Canadians.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The essential value =
of our public infrastructure is its utility in meeting our collective =
economic and social needs and interests more efficiently and =
effectively, including all of the needs and interests you rattled off in =
your reply.</div><div><br></div><div>It has enabled us to achieve far =
greater security and prosperity than we could have otherwise, to the =
benefit of the great majority of Canadians past and present (but not =
all, and more importantly, what we have is not =
sustainable). </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>This =
foundational economic knowledge seems desperately lacking in Canada =
today, to our growing detriment.</div><div><br></div><div>What do our =
youth consciously understand of the costs and benefits of the roads and =
sidewalks they use?</div><div><br></div><div>What do their parents and =
grandparents understand?</div><div><br></div><div>What do they =
understand of social =
responsibility?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The impact of =
broadband on the efficiency and effectiveness of our economy will not be =
incremental. </div><div><br></div><div>It will be transformative, =
and it won't take legislation to affect the =
transformation.</div><div><br></div><div>It will take learning and =
leadership. </div><div><br></div><div>There is an initiative =
underway to provide what you've identified as the missing piece of the =
equation for 'universal' free access, namely, a compelling =
"argument for the greater common good".</div><div><br></div><div>Even =
with this in hand, it will indeed be challenging to convince many =
Canadians that public interests will do a better job than private =
interests. </div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully, industry makes it =
easier for us by the day:</div><div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/06/shaw-rogers/">wordsbynowak.com/=
2013/02/06/shaw-rogers/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I =
really wish we didn't need any more convincing than this, but =
apparently, a lot of us do. </div><div><br></div><div>We are no =
longer the nation that built this amazing legacy of public =
infrastructure that has brought Canada its unprecedented =
prosperity.</div><div><br></div><div>Frankly, I don't know what nation =
we are today. </div><div><br></div><div>I'd just like us to be =
working on becoming the nation we want to =
be. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>JvL</div><div><br></div>=
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br><div><div>On =
2013-02-05, at 11:09 PM, Gary W Kenward <<a =
href=3D"mailto:garykenward@eastlink.ca">garykenward@eastlink.ca</a>> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"><div dir=3D"auto"><div><br><b><i =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, =
255, 255, 0);">"We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would =
we charge you for broadband?</i></b></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto;"><b><i><br></i></b></span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Sidewalks are paid for by =
taxes. So people are charged, whether the want sidewalks or not. =
Sidewalks are, like all things in life, not =
free. </span></div><div><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto;">Given current spending cutbacks, which government services would =
you suggest people are willing to give up in order to provide universal =
free access to broadband? Which issue do you feel "boomers and seniors" =
care more about? Health care, unemployment, pensions, public safety, =
defence, the environment, education, or free access to the Internet? =
Food, shelter and safety will always take precedence. Even with younger =
generations. </span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Free communications via mail, =
telephony, radio, television and carrier pigeon has never been =
considered a universal right. So there is a remarkable precedent to be =
set.</span></div><div><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto;">What's missing in much of the current dialogue around universal =
free access is an argument for the greater common good that convinces =
the majority that its worth government intervention - and spending. That =
truly convinces the majority that governments can do a better job then =
the private sector. Given recent trends to privatize - with voter =
support - this will be difficult.</span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Gary</span></div><div><span =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><i><br></i></b>Plus ca =
change, plus c'est le meme chose</span></div><div =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br>On 2013-02-05, at 5:16, =
James Van Leeuwen <<a =
href=3D"mailto:jvl@ventus.ca">jvl@ventus.ca</a>> =
wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite" =
style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">"We don't charge you to walk =
on our sidewalks. Why would we charge you for =
broadband?</blockquote></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>=
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