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E-Rate Eyed For Louisiana Broadband
by Chloe Albanesius
Louisiana should consider tapping into e-rate funds in order to finance its high-speed Internet network, two experts told the state's Broadband Advisory Council last week.
"E-rate can help fund a broadband network in our rural communities," said Terry Lawrence, an e-rate adviser for the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators.
The e-rate program provides schools and libraries with money for telecommunications and Internet service from the universal service fund that intends to provide all Americans with access to telecom services. On average, Louisiana schools receive a 79.3 percent discount on telecom services, Lawrence said. Since 2000, the state has seen its e-rate funding jump from $23 million to an estimated $55 million for 2004.
"I believe the increase is due to training," Lawrence said. "It's a very complicated program, and if you don't understand, you're going to be stuck in the $23 million range."
But with an understanding of the program, the e-rate could be very lucrative for the state, Lawrence said. "E-rate allows vendors to include construction costs, [which] include laying the cable, fiber optics and wireless towers" for connections. For example, the New Orleans school district received $5 million a year for three years to provide Internet access, which included the cost for laying the fiber, she said.
When that fiber is laid, however, it becomes public access because schools and libraries cannot legally own the lines, only lease them, she added.
Lawrence said the main deterrent for applying for e-rate funds is the lengthy and confusing application process. To that end, she created an e-rate help desk to assist with applications, and her office does annual training.
"It's hard to understand the e-rate program, but it can build infrastructure," she said.
State, Local Organizations Urge Tax Reform
Representatives from state and local governments gathered in Washington on Wednesday to find a way to work together on issues relating to taxation.
"It's important that we come together with a system that is fair and equitable, predictable and more simple," Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, president of the National Governors Association (NGA), said in a press conference following closed morning proceedings.
Warner met with representatives from the organizations representing governors, mayors and county officials, as well as those from the communications industry, in an effort to reach a consensus on taxation issues.
"We recognize that this is a big challenge," he said. But those in attendance "agreed to continue these discussions and [I] hope we can end up working together so that state and local government interests are protected over the long term and more importantly ... [we see] the true deployment of 21st-century communication technology."
"If we can come up with something that's predictable and easier to administer, [that] will be a giant step forward," said Tom Tauke, executive vice president for public affairs and communications at Verizon Communications. "Our push [will be to] try and get something done quickly over the next couple of months. If we are able to do that, we think we would've done something good for the industry" and government who rely on this.
The current system is "not working," Tauke said. "We all file thousands of forms with state and local governments to try and pay the taxes that are collected today. The bottom line is [that] taxes in some cases are excessive. Some are unfair and looking forward. ... They may not be collectable" because they come from services that may not be in existence in years to come.
Warner did not provide details on what the groups proposed but said he was pleased with the progress. He hopes to have a framework within the next couple of months that NGA members can discuss at their February meeting.
Va. Governor Seeks DNA, Data-Sharing Funds
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner on Tuesday said his planned amendments to the state budget would include increased funding for DNA testing and information sharing.
"Our forensic lab has an outstanding track record in supporting criminal investigations, and additional manpower, tools and physical space will translate into significant improvements to the services our lab provides to prosecutors and police across the commonwealth," the Democratic governor said. He added that "a new, state-of-the-art center will better equip law enforcement and first responders across Virginia in the event of a terrorist threat or large-scale disaster."
Specifically, Warner is calling for $1.1 million and 17 new forensic scientist positions. He also wants $1.2 million for 6,000 square feet of available space in Norfolk's Eastern Regional Forensic Lab. And Warner called for a new information fusion center to be housed within the new state Emergency Operations Center. It is scheduled for completion in Richmond by October 2005.
In other news, several sites in Pennsylvania were awarded $1.2 million in technology-focused economic development funds, Dennis Yablonsky, secretary for the Community and Economic Development Department, announced Tuesday.
Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center received $500,000 to use software, computer networking and digital media technologies to produce educational and entertainment products and applications.
The state also approved $700,000 for three innovation projects in greater Johnstown, the Pocono Mountains and the I-99 Innovation Corridor. The program is intended to provide Pennsylvania graduates with an incentive to remain in the state.
"The programs approved today will enhance partnerships with new, high-tech businesses, create new jobs and positively contribute to Pennsylvania's economy," Yablonsky said in a release.
California Unveils Sex-Offender Web Site
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer on Wednesday unveiled a Web site that will let residents obtain information about convicted sex offenders.
The site is the result of a law enacted in September. It will provide identifying information on about 63,000 sex offenders living in California and will provide the home addresses of the 35,000 most serious offenders.
"This important tool will help Californians better protect their families and help law enforcement keep track of offenders who have violated registration laws," Lockyer said in a press release. "With only 80,000 law enforcement officers assigned to safeguard a state of 35 million people, we depend on help from citizens to keep our communities safe."
Available information on offenders will include name, aliases, age, gender, race, physical description, photography if available and a description of criminal convictions. Web users can find that information by searching cities, counties, ZIP codes or names. They also can type the name of parks or schools to see if there are any sex offenders living nearby.
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