Re: [Fwd: Government competition against Michigan ISPs (This is not junk mail, atleast I don't think it is).]

[Jeff Ogden]

FYI
  -Jeff

>Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 01:09:09 -0500
>To:char@modempool.com
>From:jogden@merit.edu (Jeff Ogden)
>Subject:Re: [Fwd: Government competition against Michigan ISPs (This is
>not junk mail, at least I don't think it is).]
>Cc:cholette.chris@acd.net, info@aipltd.com, info@aecnet.com,
>support@agn.net, staff@bizserve.com, branch-info@branch.com,
>sales@cns.net,
. . .
info@webbernet.net, jt@wooddimensions.com, jlim@wwnet.com, maria@klondyke.net
>
>In the attached posting it says that Merit is using tax dollars to support
>its dial-in POPs. That is untrue since Merit does not receive any state or
>local tax dollars directly--we do of course provide services to
>organizations that are supported in whole or in part with tax dollars and
>those organizations pay fees like everyone else. Merit does receive some
>federal support for our national projects, but these federal funds are not
>used to support dial-in within Michigan.
>
>I don't know the specifics of the situation in Saginaw, but I'd think that
>it would be fine for schools to offer Internet accounts to students,
>parents and others in the community. If these accounts are directly
>related to the instructional programs of the schools, I'd think it would
>be OK for them to use some tax dollars to do that. If it isn't directly
>related to instructional programs, then I think it would be best if they
>didn't use tax dollars to support the activity--they should charge a fair
>price that covers all of their costs of providing the service. All of this
>would normally be under the control of a school board or other elected
>officials who set priorities on how tax dollars are spent and hopefully
>they spend them wisely.
>
>While I don't think it would be wise for schools to use tax dollars to
>offer Internet services that aren't releated to instructional programs, I
>don't think that it would be illegal for them to do so. All of this is as
>much or more a question of politics than it is a question of law.
>
>We need to be clear about the differences between non-profit organizations
>(like Merit) and government organizations. Non-profits and for-profits can
>and do compete with one another. Sometimes government and for-profits
>compete too. For example: bookstores and libraries, for-profit and
>non-profit hospitals, public universities and private colleges, public
>schools and private schools, ....
>
>  -Jeff Ogden
>   Merit Associate Director for MichNet
>
>>Does anyone else have any information on this subject?
>>                        Charlene
>>
>>Date: Sat, 07 Dec 1996 18:50:16 -0500
>>From: Brian Wells <brian@klondyke.net>
>>Organization: Klondyke's Online Services
>>To: cholette.chris@acd.net, info@aipltd.com, info@aecnet.com, support@agn.net,
>>        staff@bizserve.com, branch-info@branch.com, sales@cns.net,
>. . .
>>         jt@wooddimensions.com, jlim@wwnet.com, maria@klondyke.net
>>Subject: Government competition against Michigan ISPs (This is not junk
>>mail, at least I don't think it is).
>>
>>December 7, 1996
>>
>>
>>Dear Fellow ISP,
>>
>>I am writing you this to inform you of a development, and a trend I see,
>>that I find disturbing.  I recently
>>received a Request for a Proposal (RFP) from the Saginaw School District.
>>You may have gotten this too.  If so,
>>just skip to the part where I explain why this disturbs me so.
>>
>>What this RFP is looking for is a vendor or vendors to provide complete
>>Internet services for Saginaw County.  Not
>>Internet Services for the schools; dial up and commercial services for
>>the entire county.  This proposal dictates
>>how the ISP will conduct business, right down to disk space allocation
>>(i.e. 2 MB for each E-mail account. Really,
>>I'm not making that up).
>>
>>What is wrong with this picture?  I am paying my tax dollars to have a
>>part of the government develop a system
>>that will be in direct competition with me.  Granted, a government
>>sponsored organization is going to provide a
>>level of service way below what I do but that does not make it palatable
>>by any means.  The Internet consumer
>>often does not have enough information initially to make a wise choice
>>among ISP's.  Most consumers are eventually
>>going to make a wise choice's regarding ISP's, but in the meantime, an
>>effort such as this takes away our limited
>>number of customers, using the taxes we paid.  Also think about his: Is
>>this ISP going to be promoted to children
>>in Saginaw schools?  They would make a captive audience.
>>
>>We are running into a similiar situation in our coverage area.  Merit
>>owns several POPs which they rent to several
>>large ISPs.  Quite a few potential customers are dialing Merit owned
>>POPs, using a infrastructure developed with
>>our tax dollars.  That is the whole point.  The days when government
>>needed to be involved in the Internet are
>>long gone.  All government involvement can do now is to stifle the growth
>>and potential of the Internet, hurting
>>our businesses in the process.
>>
>>I would like to get our elected officials involved in this.  What I am
>>looking for is concurence on the points
>>I've made here (or disagreement if that is how you feel) and a little
>>activism on your part.  I am busy writing my
>>state representative as soon as I'm done with this.  Of course I would
>>like any input anyone has on this issue.
>>
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Brian and Maria Wells
>>Klondyke's Online Services
>>http://www.klondyke.net
>


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