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San Francisco Chronicle Editorial
February 13, 2007
"THERE they go again.
"The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote today on Jake McGoldrick’s nonbinding resolution urging the city to study building a municipal wireless network rather than proceeding with the public-private partnership Mayor Gavin Newsom worked out with Earthlink and Google. The resolution is ridiculous and redundant. The city’s budget analyst already completed a study that thoroughly examines the municipal idea, and it’s not pretty: A municipal network is feasible, but it would cost $10 million in start-up costs and at least another $1 million a year for maintenance. Oh, and every other major metropolitan area with municipal wireless has a public-private partnership instead. (Boston has approved a municipal network with nonprofit partnerships, but it’s not up and running yet. The only other substantial city to try municipally owned wireless — Corpus Christi, Texas — changed its mind and recently signed up with a private company.)
"Newsom’s public-private partnership has been well-received by technology experts and comes with a taxpayers’ price tag of zero. Still, McGoldrick’s resolution has a decent shot at passage. This defies common sense, but not a sense of political posturing during an election year.
"So, here we go. The script is obvious: After the supervisors pass McGoldrick’s resolution, they’ll have laid the groundwork to reject the public-private partnership, which goes up for a vote later this month, by claiming that all the "research" isn’t in. The city’s quest for wireless will grind to a halt while the useless study takes place. Earthlink and Google, who’ve been welcomed by other municipalities with open arms, may lose patience and go away. The mayor’s opponents on the Board of Supervisors will bluster about how this is about providing San Franciscans with the "best," a tough claim when the city isn’t experienced in building wireless networks and is staring at a $10 million price tag and meanwhile, city residents aren’t getting any wireless at all. Must this story go on?"
The supervisors should reject McGoldrick’s resolution.
- : 4.6
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February 23rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
I concur. But what are you going to do with a communist oligarchy? As usual, another board member serving donuts on a different planet. It’s just another way to increase their control. WE might just as well name our city the People’s Republic of SAn Francisco.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:51 am
I agree.
March 6th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Actually, Ed Jew is right on track about this.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:33 pm
jake mcgoldrick is a dinosaur ; he won’t go away and he won’t shut up - because he gets his script from Leaders - like Mayor Gavin Newsom - he just opposes Them.
jake mcgoldrick is a fool. who voted for him ? whose payroll is he on ? Has anyone read anything about his background ? Who does he respresent ?
james m buckley
james m buckley
April 6th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I agree with this article completely. It blows my mind that this is still unresolved. If this were about the people of San Francisco receiving the highest quality of FREE wireless service, the decision is beyond clear. It costs us nothing. I am so tired of certain members of the board turning a blind eye to what our citizens truly want, and voting for their own personal political agendas.