They won't expand Medicaid, are in the process of out sourcing many state jobs (parks, university) and will continue to stick it to working families.
Many of those who would receive help are most concerned in making sure there's still someone else in a worse situation than themselves.
This is true and explains a lot of situations where people seemingly vote against their own self-interest. The fact that responders choose to reject in the Ultimatum Game[1] shows this in action.
But an even more fascinating example than the ultimatum game (sorry can't find the link) is research that shows subjects are willing to pay money to burn the money of others, just so the other test subject ends up with less. For example, offer to give test subject A $10, tell him that you're giving subject B $20, and then give subject A the option of giving up $2 of those $10 just to reduce the subject B's gift from $20 to $5. It was found that a percentage of people will be willing to accept that choice even though it's not the action of someone with rational economic self-interest.
This sums up the majority of rural republicans in my area. It's a sad realization that people so often put not being at the bottom above their own best interests.
Tennessee also has the lowest state debt per capita of any state, $6,400 versus $20,500 for California. It's got only $415 in unfunded pension liabilities per person, versus $3,250 in California. It's among the top-10 states for lowest tax burden, lower unemployment than average, and higher than average growth in GDP per capita.
Tennessee has made a conscious decision not to pay for public services now by pushing the burden onto future generations. After the governments of places like California and Illinois collapse under the weight of their debts, places like Tennessee will at least be able to plod along offering limited government services in a sustainable way.
EDIT: Clarified my point.
[0]: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/why-are-so-many-mass-shoo...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/nyregion/ny-sues-verizon-...
It costs something like $300/mo with a two year contract and some ridiculous $2000 or so installation price.
Gee, thanks?
Comcast's recent Gig advertising around here is almost laughable. We've called in to discuss upgrading but their sales and support are clueless.
Side note: As I was trying to comment on this my business class Comcast connection dropped. Go figure.
I guess it probably is more work than is beneficial for the journalists?
It was almost unanimous. This coverage talks about it in a totally different way.
Also, the grants are not specifically to Comcast/AT&T, or even just to private businesses. From the text of the bill, the grants have to be able to go to: "political subdivisions or entities of political subdivisions, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, or other business entities that provide broadband services; cooperatives organized under the Rural Electric and Community Services Cooperative Act or the Telephone Cooperative Act, and any other entity authorized by state law to provide broadband services."
While I'm all for freeing EPB to do their thing wherever they can, this article seems to be slanting things more than a bit.
[0]-http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNu...
It's not going to do anything for cities, but there are alot of people who don't live in major cities. It's all the areas outside that that have no broadband of any sort that this bill is helping.
Check out http://www.tnelectric.org/members/ for a map showing all the land areas served by electric co-ops who would now be able to provide internet and apply for grants, and that's not including places that have telecom co-ops for their internet but get power via a city/county organization.
[0] - http://wktelecom.coop/
- Promise awesome infrastructure
- Lobby to get taxpayers to pay for it
- Refuse to deliver, without recourse
- Profit!!!
I was living downtown and had EPB. Not only are their speeds fantastic and prices quite reasonable, their customer service is amazing.
We recently moved right outside of their coverage area and are forced to use Comcast. The bill is higher, speeds slower, and customer service nonexistent.
s/nonexistent/abusive/
Their customer abuse is prolific.
I am a little reluctant to say that every city should have a publicly owned utility to run its infrastructure but compared the alternatives it does look preferable.
This is infuriating.
