Interesting People mailing list archives
more on worth thinkig about -- Municipal Wi-Fi
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:00:47 -0400
------ Forwarded Message From: Allan A Friedman <allan () sccs swarthmore edu> Reply-To: <allan () friedmans org> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:33:53 -0400 (EDT) To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Cc: "Casserly, James" <jcasserly () WILLKIE COM> Subject: Re: [IP] worth thinkig about -- Municipal Wi-Fi Mr. Tait does raise a good point: access alone does not solve urban problems. But even the most ardent digital divide activist as embraced this by now. The cost-per-citizen (fixed and annual) is far lower for muni wireless than for schools, police, or road crews. While there are some schools of thought that argue that agenda-setting is strictly a zero-sum game, most see political processes as more complex, so wireless would not have come at the expense of these other factors, either fiscally or politically. While some of the rhetoric surrounding public wireless can harken back to a utopian era that misled many, the philly plan and similar innitiatives should be considered on their own merits. There is significant evidence that they can offer real quality-of-life improvement for a large number of people. (I happen to think the same about good public schools & libraries, but that's another political battle) /\llan Allan Friedman PhD Student, Public Policy Kennedy School of Government GEEK/WONK On Thu, 14 Apr 2005, David Farber wrote:
------ Forwarded Message From: "Casserly, James" <jcasserly () WILLKIE COM> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:12:27 -0400 To: "'dave () farber net'" <dave () farber net> Subject: Municipal Wi-Fi Dave, you have previously distributed a number of items -- pro and con -- about cities' plans to offer wireless services, but this one is singularly trenchant. Jim Casserly http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/11389598.htm The ballad of Philadelphia I read, with much enthusiasm, of Mayor Street's plan to make the city wireless. Unfortunately, I can't afford a laptop because I was laid off from my city job. In fact, I can't afford a computer, which stinks because my kid, who used our local library's computer, can't because of the cutbacks, which is just as well because I was getting sick of him having to dodge bullets on his way home. (What ever happened to that Safe Streets thing?) I'd pick him up, but I bent the axle on my car driving into one of the million potholes in my neighborhood, but good luck with the whole wireless thing. Brian P. Tait, Philadelphia Jim Casserly 202/303-1119 (office) 202/460-9159 (wireless) ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as allan () friedmans org To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on worth thinkig about -- Municipal Wi-Fi David Farber (Apr 15)