| The big winners will be rural communities upstate, communities that have been in economic decline for decades. It seems that for the better part of half a century, Albany's strategy for reviving the upstate economy has been to throw money at corporate interests in the hopes that they might create jobs up there. The failed and thoroughly corrupt Empire Zones come to mind. This bill will accomplish more in 5 years than the Empire Zones ever have in breathing new life into the upstate economy. Study after study has shown a direct correlation between broadband penetration and economic prosperity. To put it simply, the more wired a community is, generally the more prosperous it is. The towns and villages that have lost huge portions of their populations over the last half century or so desperately need this bill. The folks who send their kids off to college knowing that their kids will never return to their hometowns to live because they can't make a living and raise a family there are going to benefit most from this bill.
Perhaps not so ironically, the people of those communities that stand to reap the most benefit from this legislation are more often than not represented by those most likely to be an impediment to its passage, Republican State Senators doing Joe Bruno's bidding. This offers a wonderful opportunity to see if those Senators will stick with those they represent or stick with Bruno. Again.
Net neutrality wins big. The net neutrality language in this bill is the strongest ever introduced in any state. If this bill passes, it becomes a model for every other state in the nation.
Consumers win by getting cheaper rates for cable TV and telephony through increased competition. Not only that, but increased competition will bring new and more dynamic services as companies will try to compete on more than price.
The governor wins big by championing truly progressive and innovative legislation that benefits consumers over corporations. For a governor that quite obviously has big ambitions, this is quite the potential feather in his cap. It also has the opportunity to be a game changer in the State Senate. If those upstaters get sold out again by their representatives in Albany, it's possible that some of those representatives may find themselves in some rather hot water back home.
New York is a winner in the eyes of the other 49 states. It's been too damn long since New York, once the progressive vanguard of the nation, first amongst equals in the "laboratories of democracy", was seen as a leader for other states to follow. This is an opportunity for New York to once again blaze a trail that other states will want to follow.
Every other state in the nation wins if we can pass this bill. The next time the telcos bring a bad bill to the statehouse in Oklahoma or Oregon or Iowa, the people of those states can point to New York and ask, "why can't we get a deal like that?" If New York can greatly increase broadband penetration, protect net neutrality, increase competition and revive the economies of neglected communities by passing legislation such as this, it can and will be done elsewhere.
Honestly, this is exactly why this fight may prove to be as tough as I suspect it will be.
But we can win this thing. You can help right now. Call the Governor and ask him to support the Telecommunications Reform Act. Call him right now.
Governor Spitzer's Office: 518-474-8390 |
