I'm glad that my office lost power for over an hour. I got to read your email in full. (ISP running on generator though :)
On 8/9/06 11:56 AM, "Marlon K. Schafer (509) 982-2181" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Oh boy, this is gonna be GREAT!!!! (said in my best Animal House voice) > > Unlike some others here I'm gonna take this on. Please feel free to expand > on my thoughts as needed. > > WISPA is a political organization guys. We work with the FCC, congress, > state and local governments. Eventually we'll help other countries make > things better for their people too. > > It's important that people here, especially the business owners, understand > how things REALLY work. To get to that point we have to talk to each other > about what happens on OUR watch. Otherwise all we learn is one sided and we > can't form reality based opinions. > > Having said that, I agree with you 100% David. As far as you've gone...... > > We own thousands of acres. Not me, my parents though. We get a LOT of > money for not growing wheat every year. Believe me, it's not a good thing > for the community. We buy less fuel, equipment, fertilizer, insurance etc. > etc. etc. Many farm towns are all but dead because they can't support the > churches, grocery stores, clothing stores, hardware stores etc. Wal-Mart > hasn't helped, but mostly it's the lost of bodies that has hurt. When the > school district is loosing kids you know people, especially the next > generation just aren't staying here. > > But what's a body to do? Out here most of the ground we're being paid not > to raise crops on is really bad ground. It should not have ever been pulled > from grazeland in the first place. But there's not always been more food > than people, so folks planted every acre they could. > > Farming used to be a good living. Back before Jimmy Carter that is. His > choice to use food as a political weapon caused other countries to start > growing a LOT of food. And our wonderful universities and government was > all too happy to teach them how. So now we don't feed you AND the whole > world. We feed you and part of the world. > > Farmers today compete against Australia, south america, China and a lot of > other countries. Here we have more rules that everyone, not only the > farmers but the suppliers of our chemicals and machinery too, have to follow > so our costs are often driven much higher than our competitors. But we've > got good ground and we know how to take care of it so we can probably keep > up that way. > > Many of those other countries subsidize their farmers or tax our incoming > crops though. Sometimes both. In those cases we certainly can not compete. > If we can't compete we go out of business. If no one in the industry can > compete the industry eventually shuts down. When's the last time you saw a > wagon wheel plant? Or a blacksmith shop? It does happen. In those cases > though, there's been something else, something better to take it's place. > > What are you going to do for food if you can't afford to grow it here? You > can live without your computers if someone blocks the ships coming to our > shores. You can survive without your TV, radio, mp3 player etc. > > Let me ask you, if there's another big war and you were on the other side, > what's the first thing you'd do? Me, I'd shut down America's access to the > rest of the world. Without America many economies would collapse, war > materials couldn't get out, and nothing, including (especially???) food > would get in. > > Governments know that as long as people are eating it's not likely that they > will revolt. When they start to starve, when the children die, bullets > start to fly. And NO government, even the mighty Romans, survives when the > people are against them. The USA spends less per capita on food than almost > any country in the world. If you allow too many farmers to go broke that > won't be the case. You'll have to buy food instead of that new car..... > > Here's where it gets really interesting. Did you know that the farmers > can't sell their crops themselves in most cases? There are two or three > exporters in the whole country. They sell the wheat AND set the prices that > the farmers are paid. I can't go to, say, China, and say, "Look, you're > paying $5 for a bushel of wheat. I only get $3.75, how about if I sell to > you at $4.50 and we both win?" How would you like to have to sell your > internet to EarthLink, AOL, or MSN? At whatever rate they decided you > should get? That's much the way farming works. > > As for other crops it's not that simple. Believe it or not, farmers aren't > stupid. They are often some of the sharpest most business savvy people > you'll ever meet. When crop prices are LOWER than they were in the 1970's > and have been since then almost ever year we weeded out the stupid ones a > long time ago. IF they are in the right climate they already grow something > else. IF they have the right amount of water (our latest well is 2240' > deep, $500,000 to put it in and you don't even want to know about that > electricity bill!). IF there is a market. The list goes on and is very > long. When we can, we DO grow other crops. Right now we have garbanzo > beans, wheat, barley, and over half a dozen different varieties of grass > seed. Last year we had canola, peas and spuds too. We would like to grow > some corn but there's no facilities to handle it within trucking distance > (can't truck right from the field much more than 30 minutes). > > I wish that the government would change the CRP program a little bit and > make these guys grow fuel instead of sage brush. All that's doing is > creating an amazing rodent problem. Nothing good lives out there cause > there's no water. But the rodents can get enough water from eating the > plants I guess. And the bugs, sheesh. > > It costs around $4.00 per gallon to produce biofuels today. I'm talking at > scale, not from left over cooking oil. There's a plant going in here in > town. There are no gas taxes on it so that helps, and there are some > subsidies. It still costs more than other petro though. > > Nothing could be better for this country than having every community with a > fuel production plant in or near it. That would put some real pressure on > the petrol market. > > You watch though, just like electricity, as soon as some alternate plants > are just starting to come online, the price of crude will drop like a rock > and those plants will shut down. The the price will start to creep up > again. > > If we're gonna pay people not to farm food crops, lets put that money into > energy independence. It would be great for the local economies, it would > take funds away from our enemies, it would free us from depending on others. > Lots of good to it. > > But, it would rock the establishment so it can never be allowed to happen. > Not till the establishment is in a position to be at the head of it. Just > like broadband. The technology had been around for a very long time. Till > the telco's and cable co's were ready to handle 95% of the market though, it > wasn't there. > > Who knows though, just like the WISPs have been a ground swell of grass > roots people and have pushed the broadband industry to heights and in > directions that the experts completely missed, maybe there small fuel > startups will be able to do the same. Another $1.00 per gallon for gas and > it'll be a wash for the little guy to compete against the petro companies. > > Like you, Dave, I sure wish that the government would keep it's nose out of > my business. I wish ALL governments would do that. But that's not what > governments do. They think they see a bigger picture, they think they are > smarter, or they are just greedy, whatever. > > As for the price of living in the country. Yeah, we know there is one. We > pay more in taxes because there are fewer of us available to support the > infrastructure. We can't get chinese food. We can't order out for pizza, > can't get a new pair of $20 shoes without an $80 gas bill. We can't drive > only small cars cause not all of the roads get plowed right away. And we > often have to haul much more than what will fit in a small car. Heck, when > we want to go to Safeway and go big shopping we have to take the Suburban 45 > miles away and we'll fill the back of it to feed our family of 5 for 2 to 3 > weeks. And that's with doing much of our regular shopping here in town. > Try to put two parents (yeah, we're a mom and a dad in our house), three > kids and a month's worth of food in that Yugo or mini van. Especially if > you get caught in a snow storm. > > We knew we'd not get cable TV. We knew that the fire department wouldn't > get there till the house was already burned the the ground. We knew that a > heart attack would be fatal because help is so far away. > > Know what else we know? We know our kids are LESS likely to have kids out > of wedlock. We know that they are less likely to get hooked on drugs. We > know that there are no gangs out there. We know it's safe to let our 7 year > old daughter walk downtown for a candy bar. Alone. We know we can (and do) > leave the keys in the car. Heck, I leave my wallet in my car, unlocked. We > don't lock our house, don't have to. We know that the chances of our kids > being murdered or assaulted is much lower than in the city. Out here, > sexual predators usually last weeks in the community. They don't stick > around. > > Know what else is true about my little town? We have MORE broadband options > than most of you in the city have. Usually at lower prices and higher > speeds too. > > I don't want government money to build out my network. I've seen what > happens when they get their hooks into you and/or your business. We could > have had food stamps, free government health care etc. All of that would > sure have made life easier and our business could have grown faster with > less debt. What we've done we've not down on YOUR dime. But my competitors > get YOUR money. Should they be the only ones that do? I'd like nothing > better than to see their funds shut off. That's not gonna happen though, > the closest I can do to level the playing field and stay in business is to > get some of the money too. > > When you've got your house, retirement, college money, everything on the > line, what are you gonna do????? > > I hope that helps explain more about what really effects decisions that get > made here on the farm. > > Oh yeah, I spent a decade in the big city with a real job. You can stay > there with the crime, the filth, the disease and the threat of terrorism. > It'll take one hell of a big carrot before I'm gonna go back to that kinda > stress. grin > > Marlon > (509) 982-2181 Equipment sales > (408) 907-6910 (Vonage) Consulting services > 42846865 (icq) And I run my own wisp! > 64.146.146.12 (net meeting) > www.odessaoffice.com/wireless > www.odessaoffice.com/marlon/cam > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Sovereen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 7:30 AM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Fwd: Durbin introduces > billtoencouragehighspeedinternetaccess in rural areas] > > >> Your assumption is correct. Using your example of wheat, if you let free >> markets operate, then farmers who couldn't survive growing wheat would >> stop >> growing wheat and switch to a crop that would make them more money. I >> believe that all government subsidies should be eliminated and that we >> should pay market prices for goods and services. Government subsidies are >> nothing more than price manipulation and welfare for businesses. They >> cost >> taxpayers more money than it would if we just paid the market price for >> products and services, because there is the added cost of government >> oversight and dispursement of funds. >> >> Dave >> >> 989-837-3790 x 151 >> 989-837-3780 fax >> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> www.mercury.net >> >> 129 Ashman St, Midland, MI 48640 >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Cliff Leboeuf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> >> Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 10:20 AM >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Fwd: Durbin introduces >> billtoencouragehighspeedinternet access in rural areas] >> >> >>> So David, >>> >>> I guess it is fair for me to assume that you don't agree the the >> government >>> paying some NOT to grow wheat or NOT to raise pigs so that those that DO >> can >>> survive on a reasonable profit margin and not be flooded by over >> production >>> creating too much product for not enough demand...? >>> >>> :) >>> >>> >>> On 8/9/06 8:57 AM, "David Sovereen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>>> Since when do the people on this list support taxation, waste, and >>>> government subsidies? Why should the burden of providing high-speed >>>> Internet to people in underserved (typically rural) areas fall on the >>>> shoulders of taxpayers? I don't want my taxes to pay to expand your >> network >>>> or for Joe User to get your service. >>>> >>>> If people want services, they should live in a city. If they want to >> live >>>> in rural areas, they should do so with the understanding that services >>>> (water, sewer, EMS, schools, cable, high-speed Internet, just about >> anything >>>> and everything) are harder to come by and sometimes more expensive. No >> one >>>> makes people live in the country. People choose to on their own, and >> they >>>> should take responsibility for the costs and/or lack of services >> associated >>>> with that decision. >>>> >>>> Just my own 2 cents. >>>> >>>> Dave >>>> >>>> 989-837-3790 x 151 >>>> 989-837-3780 fax >>>> >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> www.mercury.net >>>> >>>> 129 Ashman St, Midland, MI 48640 >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Chadd Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> >>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 8:36 PM >>>> Subject: RE: [WISPA] [Fwd: Durbin introduces bill >>>> toencouragehighspeedinternet access in rural areas] >>>> >>>> >>>>> IMO they need to start giving money to the end users to pay for hookup >> and >>>>> installation. Stop paying to expand WISP's networks and give the money >>>> where >>>>> it is needed, if you want a bigger network pay for it out of your own >>>>> pocket. In IL I doubt you could drive from Chicago to St.Louis and not >> be >>>>> able to hook up to a WISP. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Give money to the people who need to put up a 45ft tower to get >>>>> access. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, >>>>> Chadd >>>>> >>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>>> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Jeff Broadwick >>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 5:54 PM >>>>>> To: 'WISPA General List' >>>>>> Subject: RE: [WISPA] [Fwd: Durbin introduces bill to >>>>>> encouragehighspeedinternet access in rural areas] >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Don't forget the 3rd great lie..."I'm from the government and I'm >>>>>> here to help >>>>>> you" >>>>>> >>>>>> :-) >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Jeff Broadwick >>>>>> ImageStream >>>>>> 800-813-5123 x106 >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> No virus found in this outgoing message. >>>>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>>>> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.7/411 - Release Date: >> 8/7/2006 >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >>>>> >>>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>>>> >>>>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>>>> >>> >>> -- >>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >>> >>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>> >>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>> >> >> -- >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
