Broadband for everybody!The Howard Dean Pander Express continues. In an effort to win the Democratic nomination by throwing out all his principles (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't really believe in all these policies he's going along with), Howard Dean has promised to spend government money to increase broadband access to rural areas. Dean had earlier said that he wanted to increase agricultural subsidies. Now he wants broadband subsidies. I have a feeling that by Christmas we will have heard him advocating pumpkin subsidies, people with the last name Harkin subsidies, Playstation subsidies, and every other ridiculous thing one could imagine to gin up 3 more votes out of Iowa. Now broadband subsidies could be halfway defensible if rural areas were actually far behind in internet access. But as Josh Benson points out in the link above, 48% of farmers already have internet access, compared to 58% of the American population. Not that I favor giving anyone subsidies for internet access, but wouldn't the group most in need be blacks in inner cities? Why isn't Dean advocating for that instead of people who really don't need help? The question answers itself of course; there are few poor urban blacks in Iowa. There are poor urban blacks in South Carolina, but the campaigning haven't started there yet. Maybe we'll hear about broadband subsidies for urban area in another six months. Broadband for everybody! |
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