Municipal Broadband

And the playing field tilts again:

The trade group, whose largest member is Time Warner, is one of a growing number of private enterprises turning to the public records law in recent years to settle beefs with government or to collect information they can use to make money.

For those who need to play catch-up on this issue, here's a glance at some recent developments:

NBC 17's Justin Moss took a look at the money flowing from Time Warner Cable to the primary sponsors of H.129, the so-called "Level Playing Field" bill that would bury municipal broadband systems.

If you've been waiting to see the "deer-in-the-headlights" look of a politician caught with her hand in the cookie jar, watch Rep. Howard's reaction at the end of this video. It is PRICELESS!

Mark Turner states the case eloquently:

The Internet is no less transformational than electricity. Through this world-changing technology, lives are being shared, distance learning taking place and innovative new businesses springing up. Sadly just as in the days before electrification, many North Carolina communities (particularly rural ones) are being left behind, stuck in the Internet slow lane.

The incredible irony of this issue is the telecom-financed opposition's use of the phrase "level the playing field". North Carolina, where up is down and wrong is right.

Here's the bill currently being considered:

Level Playing Field/Local Gov't Competition. AN ACT to protect jobs and investment by regulating local government competition with private business.

This bill is flawed in several ways, but first let's look at that "regulating local government" thing. For a GOP-led Legislature that rarely misses an opportunity to bash the Federal government for pushing states around, they are flexing their muscles over municipalities like there's no tomorrow. But like several other issues being debated, that irony is lost on them.

And it looks like they're trying to help Big Telecom:

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to take up legislation Wednesday that would force municipalities to get voter approval before borrowing money to build a broadband network. Opponents say that would give corporations a spending advantage ahead of local referendums.

Mystery question #47: When is a compromise not a compromise? When it gives one side a huge advantage over the other.