From the Dispatch

Reducing Military Spending to Spur Economic Growth at Home

Altaf Rahamatulla — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:02:00 -0800

The Senate struggled to approve a $15 billion jobs bill and has yet to enact additional fiscal relief for the states, but lawmakers continue to approve trillions of dollars for wars and defense appropriations. In fact, ignoring the almost $1 trillion spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, military spending has grown 41 percent since 1998. If progressive leaders intend to reduce long-term deficits and ensure a robust economic recovery, cutting inefficient and costly areas of the defense budget should be a top priority.

Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future

Fabiola Carrion — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:11 -0800

Deploying broadband and related communication technologies, including smart meters in the home and smart grids to upgrade our power grid, have the potential of revolutionizing energy management and economic development, according to a new report by the Progressive States Network released in association with our partners, Communications Workers of America, the Sierra Club and the Blue Green Alliance. Last Thursday, leaders from those organizations convened at a panel on Capitol Hill, hosted by U.S. Representative Edward Markey, Chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and joined by Nick Sinai, Director of Energy and Environment for the FCC's Broadband Strategy Plan, to discuss the findings of the report entitled Networking the Green Economy

The FCC Extends E-Rate Broadband Access Program to the General Public

Fabiola Carrion — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:19:15 -0800

States and local governments may now use federal E-rate funds to provide the general public access to schools’ and public libraries’ Internet facilities, according to a recent Federal Communications Commission order. Schools receiving funding under the E-rate program may extend their services to the general public during non-operating hours, that is, after school, weekends, holidays, and summer vacation.

Broadband and Recovery - the ARRA and State Policies in 2010

Fabiola Carrion — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:02:05 -0800

This Dispatch highlights the trends in the initial grants when it comes to mapping, deployment and adoption broadband, outline broadband policies that states have been pursuing (using federal and state funding), and why these broadband investments are so critical to the long-term economy of our states.

State Job Creation Strategies Part II: Supporting Innovation, Industrial Clusters and Green Job Creation

Nathan Newman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:22:36 -0800

As we described last week in State Job Creation Strategies Part I: Finding the Money and Investing in Human Capital and Physical Infrastructure, competing globally for jobs starts with policy makers instituting fundamental investments in education, human capital and physical infrastructure that make their state a productive environment for economic innovation. The next step, as this Dispatch will describe, is helping the private sector leverage opportunities for job creation and technological innovation.

State Job Creation Strategies Part I: Finding the Money and Investing in Human Capital and Physical Infrastructure

Nathan Newman — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:59:28 -0800

As this Dispatch will highlight, the first step is to fund jobs that support long-term economic competitiveness, notably by investing in people and physical infrastructure. While the economic climate for profit-making business opportunities is more limited, investments in education, health care, transit and energy efficiency can create immediate jobs while strengthening building blocks for long-term growth.

FCC Workshop on National Broadband Plan: State and Local Governments - Toolkits and Best Practices

PSN — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:01:06 -0700

The FCC has been holding a series of workshops in an effort to collect information that will be useful in the creation of a National BroadbandPlan. On September 1st, state and local telecommunications officialsparticipated in a workshop entitled State and Local Governments: Toolkits and Best Practices,at which the FCC aimed to learn from the experiences of state and localgovernments that have proactively addressed broadband deployment andadoption issues in their communities.

New Mexico Passes Media Literacy Bill

PSN — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:23:38 -0700

The proliferation of the Internet and emerging technologies hastransformed the quantity, array of content, and speed at which information is communicated in our lives.

Washington State Legislature Passes Legislation Aimed at Increasing both Access and Adoption of Broadband

PSN — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:10:00 -0700

With the passage of HB 1701 the Washington State legislature once again demonstrated its understandingthat when combating the digital divide states must not just addressaccess issues, but must also focus on dealing with the barriers to broadband adoption by individuals.

Making Broadband a Key Part of States' Economic Recovery

PSN — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:06:57 -0700

This Dispatch will outline how funds allocated in the ARRA aim to support broadband initiatives and how states can leverage broadband to create efficiencies, increase opportunities and begin to bridge a major resource divide in our country by implementing progressive broadband initiatives.