cartoon

Content tagged with "cartoon"

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

The Monopoly Magnate Helps Big Cable to Ban Community Networks in Georgia

We continue tracking the progress of Georgia's HB 282, a bill to limit investment in Internet networks. The bill basically says that if some people in a community have access to 3 Mbps (moderately slow DSL) connections, the community cannot invest in its own advanced networks - even to connect just local businesses that would spur job growth. This bill could be discussed on the Georgia House Floor any day. If it passes there, the Senate will take it up. However, even if we can kill it this year, we can expect to see the big companies raise it again next year. It got us to wondering how anyone could consider this a good idea ... Monopoly Magnate Comic Feel free to share this comic, but link back to this page where possible. This link makes it easy to Share or Like on Facebook. Read all of our coverage of this bill using this tag: HB 282 2013 If you want to stay up to date on these issues more generally, sign up for our one-email-per-week list of recent stories about community owned networks. We previously created a comic about the Comcast astroturf campaign in Longmont, Colorado. Feel free to share this video below with those who may not be aware why some communities have decided to build their own networks.

Longmont Fiber Ring Referendum

Residents in Longmont, Colorado are preparing for a municipal referendum to utilize an existing fiber optic network.

The referendum is set for Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

At issue is how the city can use a ring of fiber-optic cables it built around the city in the late 90's as part of its electrical infrastructure.  Much of the capacity on the ring remains unused but the city requires approval of the voters in a referendum before it can offer services to local businesses -- which will encourage economic development by creating more telecommunications choices in the community for businesses and residents (some background here).  

This is referendum question 2A:

Ballot Question 2A: Without increasing taxes, shall the citizens of the City of Longmont, Colorado, re-establish their City's right to provide all services restricted since 2005 by Title 29, article 27 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, described as "advanced services," "telecommunications services" and "cable television services," including any new and improved high bandwidth services based on future technologies, utilizing community owned infrastructure including but not limited to the existing fiber optic network, either directly or indirectly with public or private sector partners, to potential subscribers that may include telecommunications service providers, residential or commercial users within the City and the service area of the City's electric utility enterprise?

Big cable and telco operators  have wasted no time in spreading fear and false information to scare voters into voting against using a valuable asset owned by the community. When the community organized a debate for the end of September, the only people willing to defend Comcast's position came from far outside the community to do it.  

Trying to get in the mind of the big incumbents of Longmont, we developed this cartoon (the style is an homage to the "Get Your War On" comic).

Cartoonist Turns Attention to Telco Domination of Wisconsin Leg

A cartoonist turns his attention to AT&T and its allies in the Wisconsin Legislature, which is currently slated to kill a telecommunications network essential for schools, libraries, and local government. Why? So AT&T and its allies can provide the service instead, shifting local tax dollars from school teachers and libraries to AT&T. As long as AT&T can dominate state legislatures with its campaign contributions and lobbyists, we will see scenes like this: cartoon-wi-trough.png Please share.