Broadband Service to Isolated Rural Texans is Simply Common Sense — Why I Support Proposition 8: Creation of the RURAL broadband infrastructure fund amendment

Fact no. 1: RURAL TRANSPORTATION FOR RURAL TEXANS

History of Farm-to-Market and Ranch-to-Market roads in Texas.

TxDOT Farm/Ranch to Market Facts

Texas Monthly – Texas Primer: The Farm-to-Market Road Legislative campaign themes: “Get the rancher out of the mud.” “Get the farmer out of the mud.”

“As early as 1945, the highway commission authorized the construction of 7,500 miles of rural roads to be financed on a fifty-fifty basis with federal and state funds.”

The law that really got Texas farmers “out of the mud” was the Colson-Briscoe Act of 1949, which appropriated $15 million a year to the highway department from the Omnibus Tax Clearance Fund to be used in the construction of local roads that did not have sufficient traffic volume to pay for their construction and maintenance.

In summary, Farm-to-Market and Ranch-to-Market roads were created by and paid for by tax dollars to provide roadways of economic opportunity for rural farmers and ranchers to get their products to markets year-round regardless of the weather.

Fact No. 2: RURAL ELECTRIFICATION FOR RURAL TEXANS

Texas State Historical Association: Rural Electrification

“By January 1, 1965, the REA borrowers and investor-owned utilities had more than reversed the statistics on rural electrification-instead of only 2 percent of Texas farms with electricity, there were only 2 percent without electricity. “

In summary, the federal REA lending program was created to provide electricity to rural Texans who lived and worked on ranches and farms.

Fact No. 3: RURAL BROADBAND INTERNET FOR RURAL TEXANS

Rural Broadband Internet for Rural Communities: Texas Proposition 8, Creation of Broadband Infrastructure Fund Amendment (2023)

In a Convention of States webinar, some in attendance questioned why the State of Texas should pay for the installation of internet services. All the internet providers support this proposition, and some are suspicious.

Proposition 8 would follow the logic of state-funded rural transportation and federally-funded rural electrification. The internet (broadband communications networks) has become a staple of life for all Texans, just as roadways and electrical power are.

The internet providers cannot provide the hundreds of miles of rural broadband cabling because they are for-profit, investor-owned companies that cannot afford this service to rural Texans. After installing a hard-wired broadband network for rural customers, each internet service provider can compete for rural business. Most importantly, Proposition 8 will alleviate the isolation of rural Texans from essential services like medical facilities and connectivity to fire departments and law enforcement offices.

Fact No. 4: ‘Bidenomics’: $42B internet investment favors wealthy left-wing regions, new report finds ‘Bidenomics’ multibillion-dollar broadband investment is ‘duplicative’ and ‘wasteful,’ report finds — “President Biden’s multibillion-dollar broadband internet investment meant for rural areas is primarily favoring affluent blue cities and states — even encompassing areas with million-dollar residences and beachfront properties — according to a new report from Sen. Ted Cruz, R.-Texas.”

ANALYZING OPPONENTS

The opponents are either ignorant of or indifferent to the plight of farmers, ranchers, and other rural Texans.

The fund would not pay for broadband transmission lines within cities. Broadband service providers do this within cities. For example, as I write this, I use Spectrum broadband service connected to my home via underground coaxial cables from the alley. Meanwhile, AT&T installed a fiberoptic connection at the curb of the neighborhood street. Some neighbors use AT&T; most still use Spectrum due to the lower service cost.

I was born and raised in a small, semi-rural town on the Texas Gulf Coast. Throughout my elementary school years, most of my classmates lived on farms. The kids who lived on farms rode school buses daily, some rides up to an hour each way. I walked four blocks between my home and my two elementary schools.

I truly understand the needs of rural families.

I support Proposition 8.

John White
Rockwall, Texas