New Rules Project Commentaries and Articles

In Minnesota, a de facto limit on broadband

christopher — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:47:51 -0500

The vast majority of Minnesotans, like the rest of the country, are served by only two broadband suppliers: the cable or telephone company. These companies generally want to maintain their monopolies because they can postpone upgrades while keeping prices and profits high. Just about everyone else just wants a better choice among providers.

Here in Minnesota, Monticello has broken the mold with a smart investment in a publicly owned network.

The State of the States: Power From the People

jfarrell — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:55:09 -0500

In the absence of federal action, states are leading the way toward renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and empowering local communities to be more energy self-reliant. This presentation highlights the model policies for moving forward.

Why Does Congress want me to Shun my Local Bookstore and Shop Online Instead?

smitchell — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:05:27 -0600

By exempting internet retailers like Amazon.com from collecting sales taxes, lawmakers provide a substantial financial incentive for people to bypass local businesses and shop online instead.

Over the years, there have been four primary arguments made in favor of this inequitable policy. None of them stand up.

Move Your Borrowing Along with Your Money

smitchell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:51:47 -0600

This article was originally published on Huffington Post as part of a partnership with their Move Your Money campaign.

As we start down the path of breaking up with the big banks and defending our own economic interests and that of our communities, we should think about the whole range of financial services we use.

We need to give thought to both the saving and lending sides of a bank. Each is crucial. On the savings side, community-based financial institutions need our deposits much more than the big banks do. But to be profitable community banks need to convert those deposits into loans.

Move Your Borrowing Along with Your Money

smitchell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:51:47 -0600

As we start down the path of breaking up with the big banks and defending our own economic interests and that of our communities, we should think about the whole range of financial services we use.

Instead of Cap and Trade, Cap and Dividend

dmorris — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:56:50 -0600

A new and vastly improved climate change policy has come out of nowhere to capture the imagination of state and national policymakers: "Cap and dividend." It works like this: Step one, impose a carbon cap. Step two, auction off all carbon allowances. Step three, return most of (if not all) the revenues generated to all households on a per capita basis.

Supreme Court Removes Clean Energy Policy Detour

jfarrell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:46:47 -0600

In a largely unheralded move last week, the Supreme Court removed an unnecessary and unpopular detour from the road to a clean energy economy, preserving the right of states to refuse new high voltage transmission lines. At issue was the right of the federal government to override a state’s veto of a new transmission line. Electric utilities had appealed the Piedmont Environmental Council’s victory in a lower court decision, but the high court’s refusal to review means that states will retain the authority to refuse new high voltage transmission lines.

Op-Ed: Municipal fiber needs more FDR localism, fewer state bans

christopher — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:02:27 -0600

Community-owned broadband is one way to bring fiber to smaller markets, but many states restrict the practice. Researcher Christopher Mitchell argues that it's time for a bit more Roosevelt-style localism in US broadband.

Following ILSR's map showing states that preempt local authority to build Community Broadband Networks we published the following op-ed on the leading tech site Ars Technica.

A New Outside-the-Beltway Climate Bill Deserves Support; Why Won't Enviros Get Behind It?

dmorris — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:51:34 -0600

Cap and Trade is one approach for limiting our global warming pollution but there is a different climate change proposal in Congress called the CLEAR Act. It's simple, deserves to be looked at closely and looks to be the start of a winning alternative to the complicated system of cap and trade.

Two mistakes, 30 years apart

dmorris — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:38:27 -0600

Obama seems destined to repeat the errors made by Soviet and U.S. leaders on the eve on the first Afghan war.

It is fitting that President Obama announced his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan on the 30th anniversary of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's decision to do the same. The two events are joined at the hip.