“The freedom and happiness of man,†Thomas Jefferson said, “are the sole objects of all legitimate government.†This quote is the alpha and omega of our government, and, as long as we follow its guidance, America will be free and secure.
This past year, while I was conducting my campaign for Congress in every rural county from Pendleton to McDowell, I kept hearing the public cry for broadband internet access. West Virginians are not surprised to learn that the Federal Communications Commission has ranked their state’s broadband coverage as 49th in the nation, with 30% of households lacking broadband service. An estimated 48% of rural customers do not have access to high-speed internet service.
Finland has declared broadband access a legal right. Other states in the United States see the internet as a strategic tool for productivity and improving education. However, it seems that our current political leaders and the state Public Service Commission believe that private businesses know best, and that government should not pick “winners and losers†to expand our broadband services.
West Virginia will soon be swearing in a new governor and Legislature. I hope they will look for ways to best utilize $1.2 billion from Biden’s Broadband Equity Access and Development Program (BEAD), which will ensure customers receive the highest-quality products, best coverage and lowest cost. The state has already received 20% of its allocation from the federal government.
Utility companies want the internet companies to bear the cost of attaching cables to their poles. The costs can vary from $600 up to $6,000, if the poles need to be upgraded because of their condition. If the federal government is going to pay companies to build our internet service, our political leaders should do everything possible to ensure that it is rolled out responsibly, in a way that is cost-effective and consumers can afford.
When Abraham Lincoln first ran for Congress, he promised his constituents: “If elected,†any law providing dependable roads, and navigable streams for “the poorest and most thinly populated†communities “shall receive my support.†He knew that, with completion of these projects, markets would develop, living standards would rise, there would be greater opportunities for more people, and new settlers would be attracted.
When Franklin Roosevelt took office, nine out of 10 American farms had no electricity. The lack of electric power divided the United States into two nations, the city dwellers and the country folk. Private utility companies refused to install power lines in rural areas, maintaining the rate of return in thinly populated areas insufficient. As a result, Roosevelt ushered in the New Deal, and the Rural Electrification Administration brought electricity and telephone party lines to millions.
Our newly elected governor and Legislature must exhibit the same leadership qualities of overcoming corporate obstacles that Presidents Lincoln and Roosevelt showed and ensure that all West Virginians will receive high-speed broadband.
Lincoln’s and Roosevelt’s empathy for ordinary people was evident in many ways. They sought to increase social justice and increase economic opportunity for all. They took steps to make our country a better place to live in accordance with the principles of Thomas Jefferson. Today’s political leaders ought to follow their examples.
Wes Holden, of Sissonville, is a retired federal employee who ran for Congress as an independent in the 2024 election.
