Allentown Looking To Get Into Broadband

mcall.com
Allentown is looking to close the ‘digital divide’ by getting in the broadband business "The program would make high speed fiber optic broadband available throughout Allentown and at a subsidized price or free for low-income residents. Lightner says the program could eventually become a revenue source for the city through the income generated from those paying full price, as well as attract jobs and companies to Allentown."

* Well I'll tell you what jobs it won't attract Those who presently work at SETV and RCN. The competition could very well drive up prices for whatever remaining customers would use their services. That is if it even meant cable companies could continue being squeezed from all sides.

* Subsidized or free for low-income residents: I don't see how they reason it will attract jobs or companies. Seems to me it will be another incentive for none working families to plant their roots here. So called poor people living in Allentown already have available subsidized housing, free school lunches and community church meals, daycare at schools, food stamps, grocery handouts, free backpacks and jackets, help with utilities, cell phones, reduced or free medical care, so on and so forth. This just adds another incentive for not going to work if they be losing their poor status. Seems to me these freebies could end up costing a couple thousand dollars or more for a family if they had to pay for them from their wages. Almost foolish for someone to even try getting off the public dole.

* No matter what the city does it will be paying a for-profit private contractor to do this. In other words force working people (through their taxes) to enrich whatever company the city so chooses. In so doing denying fair marketplace competition while encroaching on present providers. At the same time forcing those who are not "low-income" having to pay full price for services they won't be receiving through the use of their tax dollars.

~~~

Here's the strong message we're sending. If you're living off social programs and services, Allentown is the number one place you wanna be. If you're working and paying taxes... not so much since you'd have to then pay "full price" to the city for this broadband service of theirs.

Then there's the "NIZ" handouts only available in Allentown  No other one like it in the state. That's a whole other topic.

When it comes to Allentown we ought to change our logo to "Allentown where everyday is TRICK or TREAT".