Bridge work: Legislators strive to help citizens traverse ‘digital divide’

What an unfortunate difference just a few years can make. From a solid standing in the top five less than a decade ago to a shaky 15th place today – that’s how far down in the broadband-access rankings the United States has tumbled.

The crucial work to bridge the “digital divide” in our own state is something legislators will continue to work on during the 2009 legislative session. This divide is the gap – it’s actually more of a chasm – between citizens who have broadband and citizens who don’t.

State Reps. John McCoy and Zack Hudgins recognize that broadband access is a major driver for job creation, economic development, and quality of life in general. McCoy, who chairs the House Technology, Energy & Communications Committee, and Hudgins, a member of this key technology panel, aim to advance Washington’s competitive edge by advancing Washington’s access.

“Dial-up Internet service just doesn’t cut it,” McCoy emphasizes. “Delivering high-speed access to thousands more Washington citizens is one of our biggest continuing challenges. Stronger access means creating the stronger education system we need to launch lasting, high-quality economic development.” Further, he adds, new technologies and Web applications such as telemedicine, telecommuting, and online education usually require higher bandwidths.

McCoy and Hudgins worked last session to help win support for a strong broadband-access measure. The legislation promotes development of a strategy for deploying high-speed Internet access across the state, particularly in underserved areas. State agencies are working with other public and private stakeholders that have a say-so in local community development and planning.

The 2008 measure is an important step toward identifying underserved and unserved areas. In crafting the bill, lawmakers enlisted input from the Communications Workers of America, the Progressive States Network, and industry representatives.

“The benefits of increasing high-speed Internet access aren’t limited to improving educational and economic-development opportunities,” Hudgins says. “We also stand to improve health care, public safety, and citizen participation in the decision-making process of government. We as a society don’t often have the opportunity to change lives as rapidly and as dramatically as we do with increased access to high-speed Internet connections. Our students can visit a museum in Rome, our local businesses can promote their products in Tokyo, and our doctors can diagnose and treat patients hundreds of miles away.”

McCoy says a 2006 survey by the federal Government Accountability Office found that households in rural areas are less likely to subscribe to broadband service than households in urban and suburban areas. Another recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that less than 25 percent of rural households have high-speed Internet access compared with 39 percent of urban and suburban households.

But broadband access certainly isn’t just an urban versus rural issue. The two lawmakers want to make sure that no community is left behind –anywhere.

Hudgins says that “there are neighborhoods in and around Seattle, which is one of the most wired cities in the whole country, where access is limited or non-existent. Some communities of color, minority and immigrant populations, and disabled citizens are struggling with the same lack of service.” He says the legislation includes grants for training and help for underserved and unserved populations.

The legislation approved last session ordered a work group to examine the access issue. The work group was directed to look at where we’re at and find strategies for getting where we need to be. Their recommendations are in their High-Speed Internet Deployment and Adoption Strategy report.

Rep. Zack Hudgins on plans to open the Tukwila-to-Seattle Light Rail

We asked State Representative and Tukwila resident Zack Hudgins for his thoughts on Sound Transit's plans to open its light-rail line between Seattle and Tukwila in July. Here's what he had to say:

After all the fights and hard work on light rail, it is very exciting to see a real target date for link light rail to be up and running – July 1, 2009. For years people in South Seattle, across Tukwila, and anyone driving to the airport saw the construction. Some residents of Beacon Hill and Tukwila could feel the heavy equipment in their neighborhoods and hear the workers early in the morning. I watched the pilings go up from my back yard. Then I watched the rails go in and recently I watched the trains being tested. It will really help our communities to have a quick, affordable, reliable, alternative to sitting in traffic.

But just as the station designs, and track path were contentious points of discussion, there are some concerns about the real impact on neighborhoods. For example, park and rides may fill up quickly with cars, so what happens to the overflow? Will residents be charged to park in their own neighborhood with new requirements for parking passes? Is the long elevator ride to the bottom of the Beacon Hill station and the tracks along Rainier avenue as safe as they are supposed to be and can be? What will the light rail do to development patterns along the route and will the train bring in more people and jobs to south Seattle? I am sure that Sound Transit will continue to work with the communities and neighborhoods affected by our leap forward in public transit.

I hope the communities and my neighbors ride the train into downtown – I know I can’t wait to avoid the parking headaches, and save the time in traffic as I head to Seattle.

The HDC mourns the loss of our own Rep. Bill Grant

Statement from Speaker Frank Chopp on the death of Representative Bill Grant, long-time Chair of the House Democratic Caucus:

“I am very saddened by the loss of Bill Grant, and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and his children and grandchildren.

“Bill was one-of-a-kind. He was a man of the land, and he brought his farmer’s values of community, hard work and perseverance to the House of Representatives where he served for 22 years. Throughout his career, everyone who met him appreciated his honesty, generosity, and wonderful sense of humor.

“I was proud to call Bill my colleague and grateful to call him my friend. He will be deeply missed.”

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Rep. Grant's home paper, the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, reports on his passing.

It's that time again... legislative town hall meetings underway

The town meeting is one of those distinctly American traditions.

Without a doubt, public involvement must play a central role in government’s decision-making process. And that holds true whether you’re talking citizen participation in the tradition of Norman Rockwell’s famous Freedom of Speech painting or in the manner of modern-day political blogs so popular these days.

In fact, members of the House Democratic Caucus highlight public involvement in their regular community meetings. Legislators want to make sure their work in the state capital reflects what constituents in the real world are really thinking.

So if you want to share what's on your mind, here are some upcoming town hall meetings with legislators who would love to hear from you. Please do come. And be part of that public involvement thing that's so important.

• Thursday, January 8 in Redmond with Rep. Ross Hunter and Sen. Rodney Tom. 7 p.m. at Redmond City Hall (15670 NE 85th Street).

• Saturday, January 10 in Vancouver with Rep. Jim Moeller, Rep.-elect Jim Jacks and Sen. Craig Pridemore. 10 a.m. to noon in the 6^th floor hearing room of the Clark County Public Service Center (1300 Franklin St, Vancouver).

Update:

• Here's another meeting to note: Thursday, January 8 with Rep. Marko Liias, Rep. Mary Helen Roberts and Sen. Paull Shin. 6-8 p.m. at Mukilteo City Hall Council Chambers (11930 Cyrus Way, Mukilteo). Topic is about Paine Field.
• Rep. Steve Conway will also be hosting two town halls. They are:
  Jan. 31, 2009 at Bates Technical College – South Campus Cafeteria (2201 South 78th Street, Tacoma, WA)
  10:00 am – Noon
  &
  February 5, 2009 at Lakeview Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room (10501 47th Ave. SW Lakewood, WA)
  6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
  
  

Multiple choices but no good answer - either cut college budgets or raise tuition

Tuesday’s News Tribune featured a story by Joe Turner about potential tuition hikes at state colleges and universities. Joe reported that in light of the $5.7 billion revenue shortfall, Governor Gregoire and other lawmakers are trying to lessen the severity of cuts in the state’s higher education system by allowing colleges to raise tuition.

Tuition at the University of Washington and other state colleges could rise much higher than the 7 percent annual increases proposed by Gov. Chris Gregoire...

The severity of the budget crisis suggests lawmakers might again turn to huge tuition hikes to offset deep cuts they otherwise would have to make to higher education...

Overall, Gregoire’s budget would cut $350 million from budgets of the six four-year universities and 34 community and technical colleges. That’s 13 percent of their collective budgets, which concerns key lawmakers.

Joe talked to a few of those “key” lawmakers (but mostly on the Senate side - where's the love for our House members?). So we tracked down two House members who will have a lot to say about this and asked a few questions of our own. Rep. Deb Wallace chairs the House Higher Education Committee and Rep. Kathy Haigh chairs the House Education Appropriations Committee. In their own words:

The Governor is proposing a 13% cut to four-year colleges and universities and 6% cut to two-year colleges. What was your initial reaction to seeing her budget?

Wallace: I was happily surprised that the cuts to higher education were not deeper in the Governor’s budget. Several years back I worked as the director of Planning and Development at CTRAN, the transit agency in Clark County, and we had to take a 22% cut after the passage of I-695. Cuts that deep carve out essential services. While I hate to see any cuts to Higher Education I think we can be more efficient in our spending to maintain college access.

Haigh: I was very please the governor did not take the 20% cut she originally posed as an option. We have a little more wiggle room in the higher education budget than originally thought. The 4-year and research institutions will bear a little greater brunt because they have the larger budgets and a little more flexibility.

The community and technical colleges have programs we will work very hard to save because their mission aligns with our goal of getting people trained and ready to move forward in career and the world of work as quickly as possible.

Are there specific programs or budget items that are particularly important to you?

Wallace: I am dedicating my time to helping more people gain the job skills they need to get a good job and build a career. I think it is critical to make changes in the way we offer higher education programs to make it more affordable and to help more students attend school. Businesses in Washington need and want to hire skilled employees in our state. I am also focused on making the higher education institutions more transparent and accountable for their results.

Haigh: I will remain committed to STEM (science, technical engineering and math). This is a national movement and it is gaining momentum. The need to offer courses that focus on health services, technical engineering and teacher prep are likely to be preserved, and the colleges will need to make the decisions about what courses must go for now. I do not want to make those decisions at the state government level.

Last biennium lawmakers approved more than $80 million in new financial aid funding and expanded enrollment in our state’s colleges by nearly 10,000 slots. How do you think our short-term budget challenges will shape or alter our state’s long-term plans for increasing access and affordability at our colleges and universities?

Wallace: My goal given our dire budget situation is to hold onto the student count the state currently provides and to make efficiencies by focusing on high demand career occupations where we know jobs are available. While I believe all education is valuable, the state has limited funding so we need to realign our investment priorities.

One example is in the area of teacher preparation. We currently fund several thousand students to gain their primary grade teaching certificates however we don’t necessarily have that many teaching positions open in our state. However, we are practically begging for graduates in middle and high school math and science teaching slots. Since the state pays approximately half the cost of education shouldn’t we prioritize how we spend our tax investment? It is critical that we focus on areas where we have career shortages with our limited funding. As you can imagine this is a controversial subject and it will require much debate.

Haigh: Community college tuition will not increase more than already allowed in their budgets for the next year, and I believe that is about 5%. Offering more opportunity for scholarships and perhaps lower interest rate loans are more ways to help folks through the next few years. I believe we will renew the option of tuition setting authority for out-of-state students in the next four years, but I doubt we will give them authority to increase in-state tuition over the 7% now allowed.

Higher education is the foundation of a strong state economy. Community colleges have expanded access all across the state at good tuition rates that get people trained and educated in one of the most effective and efficient systems in the country. Allowing those institution to fail or reduce enrollment is the wrong direction for a struggling state economy. The bad news is this is going to be really hard. The good news is that most people understand and agree that we must preserve programs and expand opportunity for all students in Washington state.

Happy new year!

The members and staff of the House Democratic Caucus wish you and yours a happy, healthy and safe new year. Enjoy the festivities and fun (but not too much). We'll see you in 2009!

Well played, Sam

It's officially on.