It's not just about cable

The ongoing saga of Time Warner Cable instituting a metering pricing scheme for its residential Road Runner internet service prompts an even bigger discussion. And one Roch Smith already initiated over on his site...will someone downtown at City Hall please wake up? Quickly?

Because it seems as though some who are politically connected in Austin, Texas (where a similar scheme is going into effect) are thinking of the larger picture, suggesting this move will hurt businesses and industry.

Austin City Council member and mayoral hopeful Lee Leffingwell tells the Austin Business Journal:

“This approach, and Time Warner’s specific plan, should be of grave concern to Austin,” Leffingwell said in his statement. “Right now we need to be encouraging, rather than stifling, economic recovery and growth in Austin. This plan moves us in the wrong direction.”

“Introducing an economic disincentive for Austin businesses to use the Internet to communicate, collaborate, innovate, and deliver services is very worrisome at best, and catastrophic at worst,” Leffingwell said. “It potentially puts Austin at a disadvantage as we compete against other communities to attract, retain, and grow prosperous businesses.”

This is the kind of brethren we need on our council. I have yet to hear the kind of tough talk we need to hear about our city's economy, and for them to be so silent on this back-door consumption tax is beyond me.

I'm demanding that our city councilors hold hearings on this issue. They need to summon Time-Warner executives and call them on the carpet, relative to the city's franchise agreement.

11.5% unemployment in Greensboro. I still have YET to hear any city councilmen comment on this also. I mean, look again at what Leffingwell says:

“It potentially puts Austin at a disadvantage as we compete against other communities to attract, retain, and grow prosperous businesses.”

What is Greensboro doing to attract, retain and grow prosperous businesses?

Oh, that's right...we're building a greeneway.

E.C. :)