Shame on us for tolerating a state government that consigns so much of western Massachusetts to perpetual poverty status.
There happens to be real roles for government at every level. Our towns can not afford to do the state’s work; yet, it is the state that controls telecommunications. Can anyone imagine not having electricity? Of course not. The state forces us to choose between fixing roads and bridges, paying out of control SPED costs and trying to get a Internet cooperative off the ground. This is an Alice-in-Wonderland mess.
Recently, various local news sources told us of West Springfield’s decision to give every high school student a Google Chromebook. They will be able to use them at home. However, here in West County, even if a benefactor appeared, most students would not have Internet access.
Allow me to use a different model: In another time, there were assigned risks pools for insurance for drivers with bad driving records. Each insurance company doing business in Massachusetts were required to take a portion of the bad drivers according to their share of business in the state. Why is this not done for Internet or cell phone access? Does no one know how to negotiate for the common good.
Marguerite Morris Willis
Charlemont