> LIBRARY ADVOCACY ALERT! URGENT ACTION NEEDED:
> CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES TO TAKE AIM AT
> E-RATE
Let me offer an alternative viewpoint, as to WHY these are being viewed as
maybe not such a good idea. I haven't heard this mentioned so much with
libraries, mostly with Schools, but it sounds like the same thing.
On the face, it sounds like a good idea to give subsidies to schools -- but,
it ends up being (if memory serves) around $5/month tax per extra line. My
little ISP has about 140 lines, meaning I pay into this $700/month or
$8,400/year. (If I'm wrong on the amount, I gave the breakdown so we can
refigure it).
That's a lot of money for a small business.
On the other side, small ISPs have already been giving discounts, or
sometimes free access, to schools and libraries -- a rather easy program to
administer with low costs. What incentive do I have now to give a discount,
when I'm having it taken out of my phone bill ? And, we now have the
overhead of the government collecting and administering this money.
I'm admittedly biased, but I'm not sure this program is really such a good
idea, and would like to see some more info come out on this list, not just
what I can come up with from memory, or just a "Legislative Alert", who's
language is designed to make people feel that libraries are being attacked,
without discussing WHY this program is being questioned.
-Chris
==========================================================
Chris Candreva -- chris@westnet.com -- (914) 967-7816
WestNet Internet Services of Westchester
http://www.westnet.com/