Staff Reports
The Biden Administration has unveiled its latest plan, and it’s a doozy. They want to provide high-speed internet access to every single American. Yes, you heard that right – EVERY. SINGLE. AMERICAN. Now, while this may sound like a nice idea in theory, it’s actually a terrible one. Not only is it a prime example of big-government overreach, but it’s also a blatant violation of the Constitution. But hey, who needs a pesky old document when you’ve got workarounds, right?
Universal Internet Access – Another Biden Boondoggle https://t.co/mcLDUF0Gxa
— RedState (@RedState) July 3, 2023
According to President Biden, this initiative will be funded by a whopping $42 billion, and their goal is to achieve universal high-speed broadband across the country and its territories by 2030. They claim that this will address the issue of over 8.5 million homes, businesses, and other locations that currently lack broadband capabilities. Sounds noble, doesn’t it? Well, not so fast.
This so-called Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program is actually part of the 2021 infrastructure funding bill, a.k.a. the $1 trillion boondoggle. Each state will receive a minimum of $107 million to expand broadband internet access for their residents, with bigger states like Texas and California getting even more money. But here’s the catch – they have to submit plans on how they will use the money, and only receive 20 percent of the funds upfront. The rest will be handed out later, once their plans are finalized.
Now, here’s where things get sketchy. This is a tactic that the federal government loves to use – block-granting money to the states with certain conditions attached. Why? Well, because the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution explicitly says that the federal government shouldn’t be meddling in these kinds of things. But hey, who needs a pesky old Constitution when you’ve got big government dreams?
President Biden, of course, is already trying to justify this boondoggle. He claims that high-speed internet is now an “absolute necessity” and that millions of Americans are lacking access to it. But here’s the thing – is high-speed internet really an absolute necessity? Are people dropping dead because they can’t stream their favorite TV shows fast enough? I don’t think so. But according to Biden, the federal government should be in the business of subsidizing people’s conveniences. Last time I checked, that’s not the role of the government.
The truth is, most of the country already has access to high-speed internet. Even up here in Alaska, Elon Musk’s Starlink has got us covered, albeit at a hefty price. And in my neck of the woods, we’ve got good old DSL service, which may not be cutting-edge, but it gets the job done. So why do we need the government to spend money on equipment when they could just subsidize existing services? Well, the answer is simple – they want to hand out sweetheart contracts to their buddies.
And guess what? The calls for more money have already started. State officials in Washington are worried that their $1.2 billion won’t be enough to provide fiber internet lines to everyone. Mississippi’s broadband expansion head is also concerned that their $1.2 billion won’t cover the needs of unserved populations in the Mississippi Delta. Surprise, surprise – the initial funds haven’t even been disbursed, and the begging for more has already begun. It’s like a never-ending cycle.
But here’s the real kicker – people keep voting for these boondoggles. Politicians keep dishing them out because they know it’s what people want. Who doesn’t want free stuff, right? But it’s time to wake up and realize that these big-government programs come with a hefty price tag. And guess who’s paying for it? That’s right, you, the hardworking taxpayer. So next time you hear about another one of Biden’s boondoggles, remember that it’s your dollars on the line. Maybe it’s time to say no to Santa Claus.
