COM-MUNI-ISM

Lafayette, La., Mayor Joey Durel said this about his city's successful legal battle to build a municipal broadband network: “Our citizens have sent a powerful message: Americans want their local governments to do what's necessary to be 21st century cities second to none.” That may be what the people of Lafayette said and even what they meant, but if so, it is a reminder that neither the people of Lafayette nor most small pockets of Americana are diverse enough in means, demographics, social philosophy and political viewpoint to speak for all Americans. Many local governments are doing plenty already. And not every community wants their good ole' Pappy O'Daniel politician to be in charge of their communications network. There are some civil services that are best managed by local municipalities. Broadband isn't one of them. The idea that bringing fiber to the home is as essential as water, electricity and police and fire protection — legitimate civil services — is silly. And giving most municipalities the keys to the community IT department is absolutely frightening. Big Brother and bureaucracy aside, the scare tactics about keeping up with the rest of the world in broadband deployment should be as transparent as today's earnings reports. Residential or municipal broadband are not on the same par as stem cell and renewable energy research. Now if the city of Lafayette wanted to volunteer as an experimental windmill site, then more power to them. Let the world get ahead in fiber-to-the-home deployments and let them prove that life-altering service will come rushing to their doors — or not.