 IowaCowboyWant to go back to IowaPremium
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA
 ·Comcast
 ·Verizon Broadban..
| Re: Messed Up Priorities The library here gives you 30 minute sessions and the libraries here (and across the nation) have severely cut their hours due to budget cuts. It can take up to an hour to complete one job application online (and 5 hours and session timeouts with dial-up) for those seeking work. In my little world, broadband is becoming as essential as basic telephone service. And there are plenty of jobs that require the worker to have a home broadband connection. Most companies will no longer accept walk in or paper job applications. They'll tell you to go home and apply online.
By limiting access to broadband, you are crippling economic development.
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Romney-Ryan and Scott Brown are the Right Choice as they are Hope & Change you can count on. |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Reading, MA Reviews:
·Comcast
 ·Verizon FiOS
1 edit | reply to Anon
Re: Messed Up Priorities
Library closed during emergency situation yesterday... as did nearly all the other places that could have provided Wi-Fi... and that was assuming I was stupid enough to try to go somewhere--which the government specifically asked me not to do during the emergency.
The question needs to be clarified--Electricity is certainly more important long term... but short term (hours/days) I would argue that electricity can be more easily replaced than broadband. Same can even be said for drinking water. |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Reading, MA Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon FiOS
1 edit | Re: Messed Up Priorities
All utilities are important. If we were ranking them based on maintaining health/life, then yeah, there's really only 2-3:
- Water/Sewer (for drinking and waste)
- Electric (for lights/refrigeration, but also cooking and heat)
- Other heating fuel (cooking/heat)
Telephone/Communication (cell, landline, voip) and Internet are not required to keep you healthy, but they are required for many people to live their lives.
If we're talking residential broadband access--then OK you know what, I'll bend and say yeah it's simply not that important at the end of the day. After you're done working, or sitting at the public library, you can go home and live in 1990 if you want.
But considering broadband as a utility--which it is these days--for not just home, but also work, it is very important.
My work--whether at home or the office--is absolutely, positivity dependant on broadband. I would have no job without it. Therefore, yes it does rank highly to me!
I have no idea where you were going w/ the tax thing--I guess you mean people who don't pay their electric bill are paying their cell/broadband bills--I'd argue they don't pay those either. Comcast offers low income assistance (subsidized by the rates they charge everyone else). Verizon does the same. Let's also not forget the "Obama phone" |
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