in Checking In

Highlights of 2009: Municipal internet

I got a whole new education in politics in 2009 with a few visits to the North Carolina General Assembly. Now-Former Rep. Ty Harrell sponsored H.1252, a bill written by Time Warner Cable that would effectively prevent municipalities from offering Internet service. Because this was the second time in two years we’d seen this activity and it happened right as Time Warner Cable was moving to cap its users’ Internet usage, I felt I had to get involved.

What did I do? I teamed up with others to get the word out about how bad a bill this was. When word got out that Chapel Hill would officially oppose this bill, I successfully convinced Raleigh to do the same. With a lot of hard work, a little luck, and some big friends, we got the bill shelved. For now, at least.

The whole process really opened my eyes. The big-money interests get all the attention and the citizens have to fight to get heard. It seemed some representatives either weren’t aware or didn’t care that ordinary people were being affected by their decisions. And some lobbyists lie through their teeth as a rule. It put an end to my boy-scout view of the state legislature.

The whole exercise showed me life at the next political level. It also showed me how much work needs to be done to change it.