Last week I attended a luncheon featuring LCRA’s General Manager Phil Wilson at the Bay City Chamber of Commerce and he commented on how broadband has become a necessity.
Wilson explained that like electricity, water, food, housing, and healthcare – Internet access has become a major basic necessity for people across the globe.
While he didn’t explain each and every facet of life that would benefit from broadband service he did include healthcare, continued education, and workforce training as his major points.
He also mentioned that rural communities were at a serious disadvantage to other urban cities because of their lack of reliable and affordable broadband coverage.
And honestly, I couldn’t agree more.
I’m sure there are still plenty of people who believe differently, but I’ve got to ask them how they survived the initial COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago.
I mean, it’s not like January 2020 was that long ago or that COVID isn’t still lingering and infecting people with its newest variants.
Oh, wait – it is!
Still, those answers get really thin and weak when you start reminding folks how much others relied on the Internet for work or school and even those that needed to use it to book doctor’s appointments or visits without the luxury of a smartphone and data plan.
I guess that’s my biggest gripe really – there are still people that think Internet access is a luxury and if it doesn’t directly impact their life then it’s a non-starter.
I’m also noticing that almost all
of these same people are those who vote against progress, growth, and other improvements in life.
However, it’s just a struggle to pin down those folks’ reasoning for why they’re against something so fundamental and needed.
Just look at our county commissioners and their denial of Maverick Tube’s tax abatement request a few weeks ago.
Those in favor of the request explained themselves and their motivations, but those who naysaid and voted negatively are clammed up tighter than a Matagorda Bay oyster.
I’ve heard comments from other general public folks ranging from everything to it being corporate welfare and creating a bigger eyesore near Van Vleck to the company bringing in outside employees and abatements shouldn’t be for expansions.
My response usually is a reminder of how Van Vleck families seem to be enjoying those new campuses over there and that those would not have come to fruition without Maverick Tube and Tenaris.
Not to mention the company’s continued contributions to students countywide and I can personally say I’ve got at least a dozen friends working there – some that had originally moved away from Matagorda County and only returned to take a good-paying industrial job to support their families.
Is it a perfect symbiosis – not exactly, but, I think the positives far outweigh the initial negatives.
Plus, having a large industrial company like Tenaris shows that the county is poised for growth.
If you’re doubting growth just look at all of the new subdivisions on deck, new businesses cropping up, and manufacturers like HIF Global.
However, I’m pretty sure we won’t make any headway if we keep this archaic and selfish thinking in place.
I mean, if you’ve got broadband internet access or a smartphone, maybe you can take some time out of your day to get educated on the issues at hand.
If not, I know the Bay City Public Library has a bank of computers that are free to use.
