***SPAM*** ***SPAM***
On Sat, Apr 27, 2024 at 11:28 PM <fiber...@mail.com> wrote:
> Revenue bonds aren't paid out of the general fund.
>
>
> Jared
>
> > Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2024
> > From: "Bill Prince" <part15...@gmail.com>
> > To: af@af.afmug.com
> > Subject: [AFMUG] ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM***
> Govt funded fiber - Utopia
> >
> > Bonds are paid (usually, unless specified differently when they were
> > issued) out of general revenue funds. If the funds used to pay bonds
> > take away enough, the services get compromised, reduced, or not funded
> > at all.
> >
> >
> > bp
> > <part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
> >
> > On 4/27/2024 9:33 AM, fiber...@mail.com wrote:
> > > I fail to see how revenue bonds divert essential funding away from
> services that really matter to the public.
> > >
> > >
> > > Jared
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2024
> > > From: "Ken Hohhof" <khoh...@kwom.com>
> > > To: "'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group'" <af@af.afmug.com>
> > > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Govt funded fiber -
> Utopia
> > >
> > > Everything’s political now, of course.
> > >
> > > But he does have a point when he says “Government-owned broadband
> networks cost millions of dollars and divert essential funding away from
> services that really matter to the public — services such as police and
> fire, roads, water and sewer.”
> > >
> > > In the past, the government has undertaken vast programs at taxpayer
> expense like rural electrification, the interstate highway system, the
> space program. Now apparently high speed Internet is the thing of the
> moment that takes precedence over all the other broken things that we might
> wish government to fix. I sometimes wonder why Internet? Maybe because it
> seems easy and gives people the power to hand out billions of dollars.
> Could they cure cancer or get lead out of drinking water or fix all the
> deteriorating bridges with something like a BEAD program?
> > >
> > > Maybe they think broadband and AI and neural implants will lead to a
> future where everyone is plugged into the network and doesn’t need any of
> those other things. Maybe we’ll all be heads in jars like in Futurama.
> > >
> > >
> > > From: AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> On Behalf Of Chuck McCown via AF
> > > Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024
> > > To: Josh Luthman <j...@imaginenetworksllc.com>; AnimalFarm Microwave
> Users Group <af@af.afmug.com>
> > > Cc: ch...@go-mtc.com; John Brewer <n7...@me.com>
> > > Subject: [AFMUG] ***SPAM*** Re: ***SPAM*** Govt funded fiber - Utopia
> > >
> > >
> > > I am surprised they have never broke even.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From: Josh Luthman
> > >
> > > Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024
> > >
> > > To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group
> > >
> > > Cc: John Brewer ; ch...@go-mtc.com[mailto:ch...@go-mtc.com]
> > >
> > > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] ***SPAM*** Govt funded fiber - Utopia
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Article:
> https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/04/19/government-internet-service-bad-for-taxpayers/[https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/04/19/government-internet-service-bad-for-taxpayers/]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 4:59 PM Chuck McCown via AF <af@af.afmug.com
> [mailto:af@af.afmug.com]> wrote:
> > > By John Dougall
> > >
> > > For the Deseret News
> > >
> > > Most Utahns probably agree that government should stick to essential
> > > government services and stay out of enterprises that are better
> performed by
> > > the private sector.
> > >
> > > Yet, across the country and right here in Utah, more and more
> governments
> > > are building government-owned internet networks, despite numerous
> > > private-sector providers being available.
> > >
> > > The number of government-owned networks is increasing by the day, and
> > > taxpayers, not users, are often footing the bill. Government-owned
> broadband
> > > networks cost millions of dollars and divert essential funding away
> from
> > > services that really matter to the public — services such as police and
> > > fire, roads, water and sewer.
> > >
> > > Two unfortunate examples of government-owned broadband networks right
> here
> > > in Utah are iProvo and UTOPIA.
> > >
> > > In 2004, Provo launched iProvo to provide broadband internet services
> to
> > > homes and business. Provo reportedly bonded for $36.5 million to bring
> > > service to every home in the city and wrote off $5.4 million that the
> city’s
> > > telecommunications fund owed the Energy Department’s reserve fund to
> finance
> > > the costly deployment. After struggling to make the network viable,
> iProvo
> > > was sold in 2008. But its buyer failed to fulfill the terms of the
> sale, and
> > > iProvo reverted back to the city. In 2013, in a desperate attempt to
> free
> > > itself of the failed venture, the city ultimately sold iProvo to
> Google for
> > > $1.
> > >
> > > Similarly, UTOPIA (Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency)
> was
> > > launched to provide broadband internet services to a consortium of
> cities.
> > > But UTOPIA has failed to fulfill its promises for more than two
> decades now.
> > > The project, which started in 2002, was projected to be finished in
> three to
> > > four years. Fast forward to today, and it is still incomplete. Not
> only is
> > > UTOPIA incomplete, but the project has racked up $300 million worth of
> debt.
> > > And despite iProvo’s example of failure, UTOPIA continues to expand.
> > >
> > > For years, UTOPIA consistently lost money, expecting taxpayers to cover
> > > those losses. In addition to this, the government-owned network
> continues to
> > > expand and pull other cities into this trap. What’s more egregious is
> that
> > > UTOPIA misrepresented its performance as it pitched cities on buying
> into
> > > the expansion fever. For example, UTOPIA once claimed the network had
> “no
> > > cost to taxpayers since 2009.” This statement was patently inaccurate.
> > >
> > > As your watchdog, I help you to hold your government accountable. My
> office
> > > investigated this and other claims, then we wrote a letter identifying
> these
> > > inaccurate statements. We instructed UTOPIA to do the following:
> > >
> > > •Discard or destroy marketing materials with misleading statements.
> > >
> > > • Ensure future communications more accurately reflect the dependence
> on
> > > taxpayer support.
> > >
> > > •Take steps to remedy the misrepresentations regarding the lack of
> taxpayer
> > > support to any individual or entity that received the inaccurate
> > > information.
> > >
> > > UTOPIA’s shortcomings do not stop there, however. Rather than providing
> > > internet access to the more than 40,000 homes and small businesses
> that lack
> > > internet access today, UTOPIA, like other government-owned networks,
> builds
> > > redundant networks that compete with existing private providers, many
> who
> > > are also regulated by the cities in which they operate.
> > >
> > > Unfortunately, iProvo and UTOPIA are no different from other
> > > government-owned fiber networks across the country, which fail
> financially
> > > about 90% of the time.
> > >
> > > When taxpayer money is being diverted from critical services into pet
> > > broadband projects, that money is not going where it is needed most.
> > > Taxpayers expect government to maintain roads, provide safe drinking
> water
> > > and keep their communities safe. Money spent propping up broadband
> services
> > > costs taxpayers money, encumbered by decades of debt, and deprives
> them of
> > > important and sufficient government services they want and deserve.
> Plus,
> > > higher taxes burden families, many of whom are struggling today just to
> > > provide for themselves.
> > >
> > > Government-owned broadband has done enough harm to taxpayers. iProvo
> and
> > > UTOPIA should be seen as an example for policymakers of what to avoid.
> > > Public officials across the country, and especially here in Utah,
> should
> > > resist the appealing allure of expanding or deploying government-owned
> > > networks, which allure has been shown to be deceptive, and ultimately
> > > destructive, to taxpayers.
> > >
> > > John Dougall is the Utah State Auditor and is a candidate for Utah’s
> 3rd
> > > congressional district.
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> >
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