Yes, '$460 million for Schwarzenegger and legislators to implement proposals to bridge the “digital divide”'. From the referenced article:
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed 21 technology leaders — a third from the Bay Area — to a Broadband Task Force that will join forces with another new agency to engineer plans to remove barriers to high-speed cable and wireless access.
At least $460 million soon will be available for Schwarzenegger and legislators to implement proposals to bridge the "digital divide" — the lack of broadband data transmission to rural and poor urban areas. The governor said a key step will be slashing bureaucratic red tape.
"California is home to the greatest technology entrepreneurs," Schwarzenegger said. "Let's show the world what we can do." The governor's creation of the task force, promised in last year's State of the State address, comes as the state Public Utilities Commission is starting up its new California Emerging Technology Fund, PUC spokeswoman Susan Carothers said.
As part of the merger between SBC-AT&T and Verizon/MCI, the PUC required the companies to place $60million into the Emerging Technology Fund over five years, Carothers said...
That's a big chunk of change, and if dollars equate to progress, a lot could be expected. If dollars equate to progress. I don't know enough about the California digital divide to comment on that, but let's put that dollar amount in context.
The OLPC, lauded by many and condemned by few, is supposed to retail for $100 each. The minimum order is 1 million, therefore the minimum cost is $100 million. It does nothing for the infrastructure of a developing nation except increase demand of it.
But in the United States, in the state that houses Silicon Valley, 4.6 times the minimum cost of an OLPC is being spent to address infrastructure in California.
OLPC or Broadband for developing nations? I'd go with broadband.
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California Infrastructure
Thanks for your attention to the timely and important matters that face California. Your comment on California infrastructure, caught my attention because, quite frankly, that issue affects many Californians as well as the fiscal state of California.
Well, if you haven’t heard already there is a new organization creating dialogue about the fiscal health of our state. New California Network (NCN) is an organization devoted to improving the performance, transparency and accountability of the government pertaining to the current fiscal crisis. NCN is guided by a few principles that define the needed improvements:
1. State leaders need to set priorities and live within the state’s means.
2. State and local governments need to work together.
3. California needs a 21st century tax system for a 21st century economy.
4. Public dollars need to be better managed.
5. We need to build and protect the infrastructure of California.
visit http://www.newcalnet.org
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