Political Quotes

“As we continue to debate our economic future I would like to announce July's Silver Fleece Award winner. This month's most wasteful spending project is another example of the egregious Federal spending habits of this government and demonstrates why exactly we need to enact the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. The Silver Fleece Award for the month of July goes to a $64 million stimulus award to provide broadband service to Gallatin County, MT. According to an analysis conducted by Navigant Consulting, 93 percent of the households in the project's proposed service area were already served by five or more broadband providers. The fact that tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were spent to subsidize broadband service in an area with already strong private sector representation is reprehensible. Perhaps even more staggering, though, is the taxpayer cost of these services per unserved household. According to the program's own definition of ``unserved household,'' this project cost taxpayers more than $340,000 per unserved household. However, many of these so-called unserved households have access to 3G wireless broadband. Not only are 3G speeds approaching or even meeting administration broadband standards, but 3G will soon be replaced with 4G broadband, which will far exceed current standards. Subtracting the number of homes that had existing access to 3G wireless leaves only seven households in the Gallatin County service area unserved by broadband. It cost the U.S.…”