Another Bad Bill: Iowa Communities May Be Prevented From Providing Residents High-Speed Internet AccessRadio Iowa
by O.Kay Henderson
Up to 45 communities across the state may hold referendums in November to explore the idea of a municipal utility that would provide residents with broadband service. An "Opportunity Iowa" spokesman says the goal is to install the kind of high-speed internet access available in places like Japan and Ireland that's light years ahead of what's available from most cable systems or phone companies here.
Former Governor Terry Branstad and the Cedar Rapids businessman who founded MCI are among those touting the "Opportunity Iowa" project.
Gerald Bair, the recently-retired director of the Iowa Department of Revenue, will serve with former State Auditor Richard Johnson as co-chair of the "Project Taxpayer Protection" group that's asking legislators to put limits on "Opportunity Iowa."
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A Message from OpportunityIowa. . .
We must remain firm in our OPPOSITION TO ANY NEW LEGISLATION!
House Study Bill 182 and Senate Study Bill 1136 are the pieces of legislation we have been following very closely. These bills are being represented as "taxpayer protection bills." Unfortunately, any "protection" stemming from these pieces of legislation would come in the form of totally eliminating the alternative of a communications utility! That would be a very important choice Iowans would lose.
OpportunityIowa has been tracking the arguments Opposition Iowa has made in support of their bill to "protect and inform taxpayers" and we have created an OpportunityIowa response to each argument so you can better understand the issues.
These bills were designed by "Opposition Iowa" to eliminate the possibility of the formation or operation of municipal communications utilities in Iowa. They have been introduced to ensure that the current monopolies continue to enjoy exclusive rights to provide telecommunications services in Iowa communities, even if such services are deemed insufficient, cost prohibitive or unreliable by citizens.
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!
Iowa can not afford ANY piece of these bills to be passed into law. Contact your Iowa legislators and tell them NO NEW LEGISLATION!
To find out more about this issue and how you can help, click here: Opportunity Iowa
Cities organizing a referendum in 2005
Existing city-owned comunications utilities
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