Grange Supports High Speed Internet Access for Rural America

The National Grange ^ | Dec. 3, 2001 | Richard Weiss

[farmfriend]

Labor & Judiciary

The founding premise of the Grange was to support, improve, and educate the farm family.

The California State Grange, a general farm organization, strongly supports the right of a person to work for a decent wage. Regulations and rules on working conditions must reasonably assure the safety of a responsible worker without excessive expenditures for the employer. Organized labor must recognize the perishability of some commodities and exercise reasonable labor dispute practices that assure consumer availability, and that grower's future viability is not threatened.

Since its beginning, the Grange has been a family organization, and we will remain on guard, ready to oppose legislation and laws that effectively break down the basic family unit. We strongly support the rights of parents to make the decisions for the discipline and welfare of their children.

We actively support the ongoing education of all individuals, young and old, in current crime trends.

The Grange is strongly supportive of efforts to eliminate the availability of illicit drugs throughout the nation.

We support efforts to educate our population about the dangers of recreational drug use. However, we believe that the monetary benefits that come from the illegal sales of drugs is far greater than the consequences of being caught. Therefore, we favor much heavier penalties for the importation, manufacture, distribution and sales of illicit drugs.

The members of the California State Grange will support efforts to change the way prison inmates are treated. It is our conviction that prisoners are offered things that would not be available to them outside prison. Public funding for frivolous law suits and expensive exercise equipment are some of the privileges that must be removed. We believe in sensible programs of work, including such things as producing their own food and clothing are noteworthy improvements. Our penal system must become a place of punishment for those who commit crimes against society. We strongly believe the rehabilitation of career criminals is a failed social experiment, and that those criminals must be punished in full for their crimes.

Personally, I am not in favor of the war on drugs but I must abide by the policy set by the membership. The Grange is also infavor of the production of industrial hemp.

[farmfriend]

Transportation

Transportation modes have changed during the 124 years of our existence in California, and the Grange has been intensely interested in its evolution. Transportation today, is an integral component of our societal culture, and the diversity of vehicles demand our attention to safety, economy, their effect on our environment and the supporting infrastructure.

The California State Grange is opposed to regulations, whose benefits are questionable, and could have severe safety implications. We are opposed to an increase of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. Higher standards can only make marginal improvements in emissions, and will cause a downsizing of vehicles and thereby reduce their safety and utility.

As a general farm organization, the Grange supports research and development of bio-fuels that are based on renewable resources such as methanol. We will continue to work for less federal regulatory involvement. We will support more programs that encourage local government and private enterprise to resolve the technical details for transportation safety.

[farmfriend]

I posted the Policy Statements here. These are written by the committees and supposed to reflect the resolutions which are the real policy.

Comments?

[good_ash]

Yes, my comments you are asking for something to be provided to farmers at a cost to myself. If it's a government tax or a forced telco service, I will end up paying for it either way.

Farmers know the conditions they are in. If they 'need' high speed internet access (maybe they're designing web sites on the side????) they should pay for it themselves. I'm not in favor of spending money so some farmer or his kids can play unreal tournament online. Or download porn or mp3's faster.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[farmfriend]

We support this for rural communities not farmers. Odds are given the limits on the technology, it would help farmers anyway. But rural schools, hospitals and clinics would be helped as well as rural municipalities. There are other reasons to support as well.

[VetoBill]

My really big problem is that trying to introduce broadband all across the country, to me, is really jumping the gun. Technologies mature and become cheaper.

To me we are at a stage akin to trying to buy everyone a 1985 computer. Nobody will ever need more than 640K memory!! We really need to see how much bandwidth all people need. Do we need enough to watch full screen streaming television?

I guarantee that some politician will make a decision along the lines of "We need x bandwidth" only to have a year pass and this will be just a scrap of actually needed speed. I would much perfer to monitor urban levels first to get an idea of how much is enough. If we have to do it and don't do it right, in 5 years from the date of completion, we will have to do it all over again.

[VetoBill]

I agree, bandwidth for unreal is a waste :) Better to use that connection for a real game... IgorMud!! Text based, low bandwidth, and addictive as he!!

[good_ash]

Agrred. It would be like subsidizing 8 track tape players for 'poor' people in the 70's. Subsidizing one form of broadband could hamper a market-driven creation of a better alternative to what the feds mandate.

Let the market decide!

[good_ash]

How about this: I live in the suburbs, but would really like a spread out in the country, say a few hundred acres. It would really increase my quality of life. Do you support taking land from rural landowners so my quality of life can be increased?

If not, why do you support things that would take away some of my assets (through taxes or extra fees) to increase the quality of life in rural areas?????

[farmfriend]

Let the market decide!

The market can't decide as long as there are artificial barriers set up to control voice transmition being applied to data transmition. That's what this is all about.

[farmfriend]

Resolution #78, Sixty-second Annual Session of the California State Grange (1934)

WHEREAS, it has been consistently reported that the doctrines of communism is being taught in out public schools and universities of California.
WHEREAS, if such practices of these exist in our schools it should be reported at once to our State board of Education for correction.
WHEREAS, we as tax payers of the State do urgently request the passage of a law at the convening of the legislative body of our State which will compel every teacher to refrain from teaching or influencing in any way students to despise our flag and to disrespect the Constitution of our United States of America and our democratic form of government.
WHEREAS, if any teacher be found guilty of such practices as referred to, it shall be deemed sufficient evidence for their immediate dismissal.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we are opposed to the teaching of all communistic doctrines in our public schools.

Sounds like we were loaded with communists.

[farmfriend]

Another big communist plot in the Grange.

Resolution #57, Sixty-second Annual Session, California State Grange (1934)

Consolidation of School Districts

RESOLVED: That the California State Grange is absolutely opposed to consolidation of school districts as outlined by the committee on reorganization appointed by the State Superintendent. We are opposed to any further expansion and centralization of administrative power over the schools by the State Superintendent's office. Control of the schools and present system of administration must remain with the people.

[Sistyelder]

Hey...don't be discouraged! I thought that sounded like a good thing!! The Grange I mean...man....you have had to live on a farm to understand this stuff...I used to, and in 'them day's' the city dwellers seemed so stupid..acted stupid...said stupid things. Even though I don't farm now, I will defend farmers...and still live in a rural area and would welcome high speed internet, however I can get it!! Tell the rest of them to get a life. Just a bunch of whiners!

[Peter W. Kessler]

I'm all for the encouragement of such things as high speed internet connections, etc.

But, if I'm being asked to pay for high speed connections for you while I sit here with my 31200 bps, please bring me a half gallon of milk and some steaks. I assume you will pay for these items.

Thank you.

[HAL9000]

I'm all in favor of a national telecommunications policy to make broadband ubiquitous. But I have some concerns about Tauzin-Dingell.

It does require the RBOCs to install DSLAMs in their central offices - but it does not require them to actually offer service on them.

Furthermore, the RBOCs have not given any specific committments to expand DSL service if the bill passes. I think they should go on the record with some specific plans they will implement if they want to get this bill passed.

I think the better solution is for Congress and the FCC to set DSL as the new standard for telephone networks, and phase out the 100-year-old voice grade standard. The Bells will say it is impossible and too expensive, but I don't believe it.

[chuckles]

I work for SBC and believe me, we would wire everybody if the gubmint would get out of the way. They will only allow us to go places where there is already competition. Now that the dot com bubble has burst, there is planned expansion on hold because we would have an "unfair advantage" if nobody else was there. It is regulation that is stopping expansion in Texas. Yes, we can and will go farther than the 18k limit by using pair gain or what we call SLC huts with fiber to DSLAM systems. No, you don't have to have fiber to the house to do it. Several of the competitors have gone under during the economic downturn, and have thwarted our expasion plans. The gubmit even forces us to give our competitors floor space in our C.O's with cages in them for their equipment. We cannot even stop the techs from access to our offices. This was hairy during the recent upsurge in security we couldn't even challenge people in our buildings as long as they had badges. They could be ex cons or Taliban for all we knew. If the gubmit will cut the RBOCS some slack, you'll get your speed and we'll make money. Our stock has been in the $36-$38 range recently, partly because of the Broadband delay's. I also install fiber mux's for the competition and recently we have had a spate of disconnects. So wireless and cable haven't been doing all that well either.

BTW, I live and work in the country, not in the city. Broadband maybe doing fine in the city, but I don't have first hand knowledge.

[HAL9000]

I won't give you a hard time for defending your company, but I disagree with your analysis of why SBC has stopped deployment of DSL. The reason they have stopped is to pressure Congress into passing the Tauzin-Dingell bill. It's nothing less than extortion.

SBC promised to get a certain percentage of customers access to DSL availability, then they broke their promise. Whitacre blamed it on the WTC attacks and federal regulations (the same regulations that were in place when he made his original Project Pronto announcement.)

I hope Congress won't give in to SBC's blackmail. They should just declare DSL the new telecommunications standard and give the RBOCs a few years to switch over - with incentives like investment tax credits if the RBOCs are successful, and more access by the competition to the RBOC network if they fail.

[Bogey78O]

Well according to the latest issue of Outside Plant Technicians there is a new module capable of letting a DSL signal got through 3 repeaters. Thus allowing a range of 60,000 ft. Look for it in a CO near you......in about 5-6 yrs.

[Bogey78O]

Amen, I'm a ST for a RBOC and the plant quality is going from bad to unusable. The RBOC's have no incentive to fix, maintain, and expand their current plant. They get taxed out the wazzo for it and they have to give it to anyone who wants to "borrow" it for cost.