The Call Comes for Gigabit Cities. Will GA Legies Hang Up!?

A Georgia town used its city-run broadband net to help eliminate property taxes. Yet some state legislators are tying to eliminate communities' ability to create similar successes. Luckily, community net supporters refuse to cede the battle to forces outside or from within their state.

Thomasville, GA Mayor Max Beverly joins us to provide a front-line report on their state legislature’s most recent attempt to keep local governments from running broadband networks. State House Bill 282 is one of several ALEC-influenced anti-muni network laws proposed or in place throughout the U.S. that are barriers to states meeting the Gigabit City Challenge.    

Besides the "side-effect" of reducing taxes, Mayor Beverly describes other economic benefits Thomasville's public network has produced. 500,000 patients received treatment and 350,000 students received educations via technology the network made possible. 6000 jobs were created.

Mayor Beverly explains the economics and the politics behind Georgia communities’ fight against HB 282. He also discusses valuable strategies communities in other states can use to stop and reverse the damage of these laws that cripple local economies.