Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

The FCC released its National Broadband Plan this week. Sigh, where do I start with this thing?

The Front Cover

The PDF version that I downloaded from broadband.gov has no date on the cover. Does anyone at the FCC understand configuration management? Silly question.

Go to the first line of the Preface:

The staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the National Broadband Plan.

This is a usual tactic in the Federal government – don’t put any names on the report. Dilute the accountability and responsibility by saying “the staff” wrote it.

Next we go to the first line of the Executive Summary:

Broadband is great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century.

State something grandiose and obvious.

Follow that with contradictory statements to confuse the reader:

Fueled primarily by private sector investment and innovation, the American broadband ecosystem has evolved rapidly.

If the existing system is a result of private sector efforts and has evolved rapidly, why involve the government?

Include items that you are sure the President will like:

Broadband-enabled health information technology can improve care and lower costs…

A broadband-enabled SmartGrid could increase energy independence and efficiency…

Find ways to fund yourself

The plan calls for new funds – the Connect America Fund and the Mobility Fund.

Hide tax increases

The plan calls for new government services and new funds. The plan also claims that it is “revenue neutral,” i.e. won’t require money. If you are offering new services, you are spending money. If you claim that you are going to pay for those services, you need new revenue. That is new taxes.

Redistribute Wealth

Broaden the Universal Service Fund (a tax paid by some Americans) and keep broadband affordable to low-income Americans (a benefit available to some other Americans).

Grow the Bureaucracy

Create a National Digital Literacy Corps.

Use subjective terms

For examples, affordable (used countless times), robust, safety, clean, etc.

The Price Tag

Where do I end with this thing? The price tag. How much did this cost to w rite? What happened to transparent government? Why doesn’t the FCC answer that one?

Oh well, so much for a plan. This is all just too bad. The American taxpayer deserves more from our government. I know there are good, smart, caring people at the FCC. Such is not worthy of them.