LAFAYETTE FIBER

[Dorothy]

Well Jag, I may only pray that we have not yet had our outburst, but I fear that we"go out, not with a bang, but a whimper".

Why won't people vote? Does no one care about what happens in our community, state, nation ? Is it like one's health, you do not appreciate it until you do not have it ?

[abbd]

Loks like we've ben whimpering for a while here in Laf a Yet. Got smart growth (a really polite way to eliminate private property rights) socialized communications and a no party party being heraled as the second coming being rammed down our throats and not as much as a whimper from the sheeple. Looks like the ruling class being lead by a complete dunce has determined that we aren't capable of governing ourselves(honest to God, I ain't no great public speaker but darn dunce cannot put a complete sentence together). HOWEVER that last tax vote sure kicked dunce, duncil and jabba right in the butt. So maybe there is hope for us afterall.

[jaguar]

I realize to attempt to compare the Bolshevik revolution to the FTTH election is a bit of a stretch, but I couldn't help seeing the similiarities when I read that quote the other night. In 2005 Lafayette citizens didn't seem to think through (or were determined to turn a blind eye) to the glaring problems with the proposal, even the local GOP executive committee. And these are devoted Republican activists, several of whom I know personally. I simply don't understand how they could vote to support and fight for something they even admitted in their resolution that went against basic Republican principles. I wonder if they're looking at this "GOP" administration and wondering if they're getting exactly what they deserve ...? I wonder how many attended Joey's soiree.

Dorothy, I'm sure you remember the saying that the Communists wouldn't have to fire a shot. The great enemy isn't "sex, drugs & rocknroll" but apathy and ignorance.

[abbd]

God, it's sooo good to have you back!

[GUEST]

While LUS is going about spending our money setting up wireless for itself, we want to know why not for the regular people

[jaguar]

Because (a minute percentage of) the "regular" people demanded fiber to the home in July 2005. The Vote No side presented all the problems with fiber according to the Durel/Huval plan, while at the same time encouraging the administration to consider wireless or a different financial arrangement for city fiber.

But no ...

This is what amazes me: Huval is asking for BIDS for PHASE ONE! of a PLAN. How many Phases are in this Plan? The $500,000 will come from his budget, but what about the funds for future Phases? Apparently this money was earmarked sometime last year when LUS wrote their budget. Does the Parish Council have financial authority over LUS? Did they approve this budget? This Plan? Someone had to for them to be advertising for bids.

Maybe I missed it, but certainly Joey and Terry used the local media "inform" the community about LUS' techno progress ... so that one day we can be like (genuflect) Austin.

[Dorothy]

Well Jag, that is in fact the problem w/government getting into a "business"; there is no profit or efficiency motive. Yes, money comes from utilities budget, but what exactly is that ? Whatever they do not spend, or turn over to General Fund as payment in lieu to be misspent by our council/mayor, is not refunded back to the stockholders (us), but spent as the utilities manager decides. There is no real oversight. That is why many posters were opposed to city going into business against Cox/AT & T/ Bellsouth Dirsct. It is not a level playing field. The city is spending money that should go back to consumer as lower priced utilities, not as a wireless network for elite city employees only. I do not think the city can compete unless the prices are subsidized by utilities, and that should not be legal.

[Azalea]

"While LUS is going about spending our money setting up wireless for itself, we want to know why not for the regular people."

I can tell you why. It's illegal for them to do so. The so-called "Fair Competition Law" that was passed by the Legislature a couple of years ago, written by BellSouth, makes it impossible for municipalities to do this at the moment. New Orleans tried after Katrina, and Bell forced them to take down their system. Broussard has been talking about setting up their own wireless system, but then they realized they couldn't or Bell would come after them.

Don't blame LUS -- they would LOVE to set up wireless for Lafayette right now.

[abbd]

Azelear, thanx for the laff.

[Azalea]

abbd, are you saying this information is untrue? Check it out -- it's against the law. The Fair Competition Act, which is the law BellSouth has used to keep LUS from going ahead with the fiber build-out, prohibits municipalities from building their own telecommunications systems. Until that's overturned or otherwise rendered powerless by the La. Supreme Court (where the LUS case is right now), it's illegal.

Don't you read the news?

[zoe10850]

Azalea, I think you have been miss-informed. New Orleans project was de-railed by Katrina. Wireless would have been free to anyone in the city (was not true high speed) and you would NOT be charged to access. Also, New Orleans no longer owns its utility system (known as NOPSI) but sold system to Entergy.

You may go on campus of UNO or LSU or LSUE and do the same (access the internet for free). Nothing stops a public entity from providing service, the law prevents a public entity from using taxpayer generated money to compete unfairly with a private concern ie. subsidize a losing proposition, for example ftth in Lafayette. Should LUS choose to provide internet for free over the airwaves, I do not believe that anyone would attempt to stop the program. What Trammel/Durel want is to "compete" with private enterprise in telephone, cable, and internet business without having to make a profit; artificially subsidizing the rates by over-charging on utility rates. This was never really explained to the public prior to the "vote" on bonding. If you think this is a good idea, than I think you have socialist leanings, economically speaking.

[guest]

Has anybody actually read the "Local Government Fair Competition Act". I suspect not. The act is 21 pages long and is Act 736 of the Regular Session of 1984. Link below
www.legis.state.la.us/leg_docs/04RS/CVT9/OUT/0000LVUQ.PDF
You must have acrobat reader to view.
The problem is, that if something is said often enough and loud enough and no body questions the person saying it or the source, it becomes true.

Read the act for yourself then decide if it is good or bad.

Personally, if my electric (utility) rates subsidize my internet and cable tv and phone rates, how am I to know just how much I am paying for internet service, cable service and phone service? And for electricity for that matter! Is it a savings or not? How is one to determine?

[Azalea]

"Crescent City Connection
When it comes to municipal broadband networks, Lafayette and New Orleans are on the same track.
By Nathan Stubbs -- The Independent | 12/7/2005

Last week, Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the city of New Orleans would offer the nation’s largest free municipal wireless network. He touted it as a bold step toward recovery for the paralyzed city.

BellSouth doesn’t see it that way. In what’s becoming a common refrain, the telecom cited unfair competition from government and added that under normal conditions — without its state of emergency status — New Orleans would be violating state law. . . ."

[abbd]

Great reply Zoe. Good question guest. I don't want my tax dollars being used to compete unfairly with a private company. The prize ain't worth the contest.

[Azalea]

Your idea about it would make more sense to me if any of the companies had been willing to build a fiber system here. But they decided copper was good enough for Lafayette.

In a sense there will be no competition between private companies and LUS. It's apples to oranges. LUS wants to provide us with a type of technology that the private companies have said straight out that they aren't going to build here.

And with so many people downloading movies off the Internet now, I'm hearing plenty of complaints that the top-of-the-line Cox or Bell service arent nearly fast enough.

But, back to the original point. LUS can't build a municipal wi-fi system for you and I to use right now because it would be illegal for them to do so.

[abbd]

Good, like I said before government needs to not compete with private enterprise. What service would you like to have that's NOT available now? Now remember I said service, do you understand that ?

[Azalea]

I have the services I require now (internet & premium cable), but I'm not at all happy with my Internet speed, or with the unreliability of the service, or with the fact that my Cox bill increases every time I turn around. How about you?

[zoe10850]

Okay, one more time:
1) No guest, I have not read law in its entirety, and will not. I believe the fundamental concept is sound in that tax dollars should NEVER be used to compete against private investors.
2)Please note Azalea, New Orleans wi-fi was to be provided as a low speed free internet access. Regardless of any objection BellSouth may have voiced (Independent article) I think there was no valid legal ground to file a suit because the City was making no money whatsoever, and would not compete w/high speed internet available through BellSouth or Cox.
3) New Orleans is not in business against BellSouth, Cox, Entergy etc., totally unlike LUS, which operates a forced monopoly for utilities. If Trammel and Durel were so interested in "fair"competition, Entergy, Cleco, or SLEMCO would all be allowed to sell electricity in the City limits, but that would spoil the "payment in lieu applecart wouldn't it ?
4)I believe Cox and BellSouth have many miles of fiber cable run already, but you are correct, would not likely go back and rewire existing facilities. Why ? No money in it. Why would LUS ? Because they can charge for it. DUH ! Who pays ? We do. .
5) Apparently, some of us do not care how much LUS screws us out of as long as a few trinkets are thrown back. C'mon, do you really think payment is lieu benefits you as a citizen ? The whole LUS deal is a big con game to generate taxes not approved by voters to be spent as the government (bureaucrats) chooses, not to provide us with service. Ftth is more of the same. The high speed is just a tease to make us bite; If it were really profitable, the city would not have to subsidize w/utility charges.
6)Of course no one will provide a service if people will not pay for it because there is no profit motivation. If I told you I would sell fiber access for only $3 more per month, would you pay. Not very likely. Well Azalea, the city will not ask you for the $3, they will take it on your electric bill without asking you. Can't you see that ?

[zoe10850]

And as for the cost of Cox cable/internet/telephone service increasing, have you paid any attention to your bill from LUS each month ?

Realistically speaking, employees always want a raise, minimum wages will increase soon, cost of fuel is up etc. Like it or not, cost of living is going up, and companies raise prices to pass these costs on. I accept that the cost of making electricity rises, and LUS passes that cost on to me, the consumer. But I have no choice, I must buy from LUS.

With telephones, I can go to BellSouth, Vonage, cellular etc. For television I can go to Direct, to BellSouth, Cox, or buy a big "C" Band satellite dish, or just use an antennea. The prices are competitive. What exactly does one do with a monopoly, especially a government (socialistic) enterprise.

LUS can "sell" free cable or free telephone service if they are allowed to use utility funds to offset costs. Now how exactly do you think that any private concern can compete in a market environment like that ? Does the company you work for charge the same price for services or products than it did a year ago ? Not likely. Unless you work for government like Lafayette Consolidated Government and have a golden goose like LUS that does not answer to "its owners", us, you must be conscious of the cost of doing business.

Profit is not a dirty word, contrary to what some would have you believe. But profit is not in the government vocabulary. If you do not believe that, watch the next legislative session when Blankstare tries to spend nearly $2 billion of "surplus" tax money. I do not see the politicians saying lets give it back to the people who paid it.

[zoe10850]

Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill


A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
-.George Bernard Shaw


A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man ....which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.
-G Gordon Liddy


Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)


Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University



Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian



Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
-Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)



Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)



I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-Will Rogers



If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!
-P.J. O'Rourke




In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)



Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)

All of which about sum up my faith in the government doing what is right. And make note of Bernard Shaw comment with Peter being us and Paul being LUS