Hosted by Chaplain Ted Denny of the Sheriff’s Department,  “First Responders” will cover stories and interviews with leaders in the community involved with emergency situations.  The inaugural launch of “First Responders” will feature our very own Sheriff Norman Lewis.  Tune in to hear about his background and the inner workings of the Sheriff’s Department.  Chaplain Denny commented, “I am personally honored to be hosting this new local program and that it serves our community.”

Future programs will not only delve deeper into the Sheriff’s Department, but all of Clarksville’s emergency departments; Police, Fire, Ambulance.  Other community leaders like Mayors Piper and Bowers, will be invited from time to time to discuss how our overall governments deal with all types of emergencies.  “Helping to educate our citizens is a primary goal for this new program and at The New TV9 we are dedicated to strengthening families and the community at large,” said Dan Calderon, Owner/Operator of WCKV – TV9, Clarksville’s only FCC Licensed Broadcast TV Station, .

The lead sponsor for this program is McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home.  “We are proud to be involved with bringing this local, high quality television program to Clarksville, especially since it honors those who deserve honor,” said Ed Larson, Director of McReynolds-Nave & Larson.

Comments and suggestions for TV programming are welcome by WCKV.

About WCKV

WCKV, Clarksville’s only FCC licensed Broadcast TV Station, transmits its signal from downtown Clarksville on antenna Ch-49 and is carried by Charter on cable Ch-9.  CDE LightBand will carry the signal on Ch-9 in the near future.  WCKV has recently started carrying programming from My Family TV, a national network specializing in 100% clean, wholesome, family-friendly TV programming.

For additional information on the station, contact Dan Calderon at 931-274-0920 or email to .

One unlucky homeowner on Powers Street fared less well than most, as mature tree had a huge portion of its limbs torn off by Ike’s windpower.

A Osage orange tree has fallen into the yard of a home on Powers street in Clarksville, TN

In the New Providence area, CDE workers worked to restore power to the Eva Drive area. Northern Middle Tennessee spent most of Sunday under a high wind warning as Ike, after meandering through the Caribbean and the Gulf ofMexico, before taking out entire sections of the Louisiana and Texas coastline, began is run over dry land. In its aftermath, Clarksville and surrounding communities have enjoy a spate of cooler, breezy weather, refreshing after the heat of summer.

A CDE Electrical truck in the backyard of a home doing electrical repair work after the storm.

TVA directors approved a 17% fuel cost adjustment and an additional power base rate increase of 3%. For the average household using 1,320 kilowatt hours, that translates to an additional $15 a month. The rates will show up on customers’ October billing cycle. This increase is the largest increase since 1974.

In a statement to the press, TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore cited the weather, specifically a lack of rain and a three year drought in Tennessee and the rest of TVA’s seven state region as partly responsible for the increase. Kilgore said the drought has forced TVA to rely more heavily on coal and natural gas, since hydrogeneration has been impacted by the lack of rain.

“We recognize that the increased costs TVA is experiencing are also driving up costs for the families and businesses we serve…we have no alternative for paying for fuel.” –TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore

The rate hike will not generate profit for either CDE Lightband or CEMC, since the increase will be funneled back to TVA to cover increased costs.

Senator Kurita and Tim Barnes presented opening and closing statements before fielding questions from panel members Frazier Allen, Britney Campbell and Jay Abertia.

In the opening statements, Kurita, who has a nursing background, said that she has worked to bring services to seniors in their homes. She has worked for expansion of the HOPE lottery scholarship to include older ages, has supported tax relief for disabled vets and a freeze on taxes for low income seniors.

Barnes said that he has been led to this challenge in order to serve the public. He doesn’t believe in cutting ‘back room’ deals to serve his own needs, implying that Kurita was working toward a bid to become governor. He’s mindful of not losing the confidence of friends and cited his loyalty, caring attitude and responsiveness to people.

In wrapping up their statements, Kurita said that she “helps people.” Barnes said he’s “a work horse rather than a show horse.”

To the question of what should the State of Tennessee provide during both good and bad economic times, Kurita answered with ‘health care, education, jobs, balanced budget and no new taxes.’ Barnes said that we must maintain our roads as well as health care, insuring those who are uninsurable, and education.

Barnes cut into Kurita, saying that she did not vote for a #9 lottery scholarship bill which would have helped more people get scholarships. Kurita stomped on that comment, charging that Barnes was deliberately misinforming people. She said a bipartisan bill was passed that gave more to scholarships and if he “had done his homework” he would know that.

They both said they stand for health care and education. Barnes cited Kurita as taking money from the Lottery to build energy efficient schools. She said yes, she did and added that the payoff will come back to the city from that. She also favored extending the lottery to include older people returning to school.

How to deal with illegal aliens? Barnes: Get the Feds to do their job. Kurita: I have a serious problem with just wishing it on the Feds. Stiffen fines on people who hire them. Documentation and tax paying should be required of all working peoples.

Kurita said she has a bipartisan track record. Gridlock stops us whereas civil conversations that is open to all solutions help us solve problems. Barnes said there’s a time and place for compromise; one needs to look for solutions. Some things shouldn’t be compromised, but relationships should be maintained.

Stance on income tax?

Barnes: On the record for opposing a State Income tax. It does not draw businesses here. Kurita: On the record as opposing a State Income tax. She has been under a lot of pressure to vote for one but her district made it very clear that they did not want one. She said she is a strong enough fighter and can resist it.

Energy resource question. Barnes: invest in ethanol; it will boom our economy 10-15 years down the road.

Kurita: (deep breath) Energy resources are a most important issue. She is the only Senator chosen to serve on the Governor’s energy resources task force. Get off of fossil fuels, use the Manhattan project. Use switch grass and woodchips here in TN. Why buy from foreign countries who hate us? There is a UT lab and another lab that is almost there with technology for us to use.

Kurita values energy resources, health care and education.

Barnes values education. And expanding the police force, which Kurita voted against.

Barnes: Work closely with local officials and market this area. Businesses need to know about our great schools and transportation. Change the limit of what we can pay on marketing.

Kurita: I changed that law this year; if you would have researched, you would have known. Develop the school system, get energy initiatives. We need to shine.

Energy incentives

Kurita. Tax rebate for purchasing programmable thermostats. Achieve independence in energy conservation. Barnes. At $4.00 a gallon for gas people are at the end degree that they can be squeezed. People will have to carpool. The State government cannot impact the cost of oil and gas. Take personal steps to conserve.

How will you stay in touch with your district?

Barnes: That’s the biggest complaint I hear about Kurita. My cell phone number is 931-801-3298. I will talk to you.

Kurita: That is an outrageous implication. We have helped 12,000 people. I call people personally. I hold town hall meetings; I run surveys in the paper. The things I have done are things that people tell me they want done.

For the state of TN Kurita has worked on disease awareness, greenways and hiking trails. For schools that have no recess she wants to increase physical activity to 45 minutes a day in elementary and middle schools. She’s behind public service ads about obesity and the danger of smoking and non-seatbelt use.

Barnes: Public schools have no recess? That’s news to me. Agrees that we need physical activities. He is in triathlons. He wants grants for more athletics.

A priority for Barnes is more money for APSU. He lives and sleeps with a lobbyist for APSU (his wife who teaches there).

Kurita: She goes to APSU and works in classes with students. Good jobs are increased by good education. She got the non-traditional scholarships for more students.

Kurita said the economy is weighing on people. We get good jobs through education. Takes a team to fix health care and she is involved civically in the community.

Barnes said people are worried about paying $4.00 a gallon for gas. The government can’t fix this problem. Say yes to college, it is the hope for better jobs.

How to keep seniors in their homes?

Barnes: In home health care, he pushed it 2 years ago.

Kurita: That’s a step we’ve already taken. Have to have good bookwork for these things. Real health care also involves helping with things like house cleaning. We have done it. This was the year it happened.

Do you vote? Kurita: Yes, consistently. Barnes did not vote for President in 2000. Why not?

Barnes: I don’t recall that. I’m interested in politics; if I missed that year I don’t recall and defer to Rosalind. Kurita was stopped mid saying, you don’t remember if you voted for President of the US?

Should the school lottery be used for anything else?

Barnes: Kurita used lottery money to build energy efficient schools. Should have put that money into students.

Kurita: I voted to use Lottery money to build geothermal schools. The long term savings is that utility bills will stay low and we have efficient schools. We are building one school a year.

Closing:

Barnes: I see the sunrise from my porch. I can’t take credit for making the sunrise. I see that kind of credit taking from my opponent. Voting for something is not the same as making it happen. I think she is ostracized by her own party. I think you should represent your own democratic constituency.

Kurita: I went to a town hall meeting in Erin where a Grandmother pleaded with me to help her injured army grandson to be sent here to Ft. Campbell. They were not able to help him where he was. My office did that for them. I work hard for people. My opponent throws hideous accusations about me, yet as an attorney he gets drunk drivers out of court and back on the road. He helps wife beaters get off scot free. Reevaluate this as you judge us. I have done my job; I take care of people. I am bipartisan. I listen to you.

Early voting is from July 18 through August 2

Before leaving the building I said hello to Senator Kurita. From first hand experience, I witnessed her handing over checks to Port Royal to help its Trail of Tears site, Dunbar Cave for interpretation and Wounded Warriors, a scuba diving group that helps wounded soldiers. She is pushing for the state to have more fuel efficient automobiles. She is high on the conservation evaluation of her.

I also said hello to Tim Barnes and his wife. Mrs. Barnes said that she works in the English Department at APSU. I was shocked that I have never met her before, but realized it is because I have never run into her at events run by the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. This center brings in authors and artists as speakers to APSU.  *see my comments below.

Going to my car I met Maria and Charlie Butler who said they are totally against Kurita because she passed the no smoking bill in TN. Since then Maria has lost a lot of customers in her 12-year-old business, Maria’s Wagonwheel.

CDE Lightband announced today the addition of new channels to both the Lightband Plus and Lightband Extra lineups.

The new channels will be made available to CDE Lightband subscribers on July 1, 2008. New channels will include ESPN Deportes, ABC News Now, Chiller, Sleuth, MUN2 and CNBC World.

ESPN Deportes, is a 24/7 Spanish-language sports network from the world-wide leader in sports. It delivers the programming Latin sports fans want with a style and passion they understand and appreciate. ESPN Deportes is not ESPN in Spanish. It is a separate service with exclusive content. It includes soccer from the UEFA Champions League, Mexican League MLS, the Euro 2008 Championships and the 2007 Pan American Games, plus support programming that includes in addition to Sports Center, Fuera de Juego, Futbol Picante, Goles de España and Hazaña. Baseball programming includes in addition to MLB, Mexican Pacific League, Dominican Winter Baseball League, Venezuelan Baseball League and Beisbol Esta Noche. Football programming includes NFL, NFL Semanal and NFL Esta Noche. ESPN Deportes will join the Lightband Extra lineup on channel 95.

ABC News Now is an entire network with news and information dedicated to better living. From high-tech to high fashion, going green to keeping lean, it’s smart, empowering information you can use every day, everywhere and every way you want it. Featuring programming that includes programs like GMA Now, an all new extra hour of Good Morning America. Healthy Life, offering the most current medical news and tips on how to take better care of yourself and your family. Home/Work with GMA’s workplace coordinator, Tory Johnson as he discusses ways to balance personal and professional lives. And veteran newsman, Sam Donaldson hosts Politics Live taking you right into the political arena. ABC News Now will be part of the Lightband Plus lineup on channel 307.
 
CNBC World is a digital network offering global financial markets in real-time, live and wordwide. CNBC World combines the resources of CNBC business news from the U.S., Asia and Europe into a 24-hour a day, global business news network. Designed with original content and coverage, CNBC World provides in-depth market coverage from around the world, major industry news conferences, analyst calls and presentations and one-on-one interviews with business leaders. CNBC World will be aired on channel 308 pm Lightband Extra lineup.
 
Dare to watch Chiller, the network devoted exclusively to the horror and thriller genre, delivering edge-of-your-seat entertainment all the time. Cult favorites like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Twin Peaks, feature films and movie monsters along with the works of master creators, John Carpenter and Stephen King. Get your chills on Chiller channel 147 on Lightband Extra.
 
Sleuth, an NBC Universal Cable network, is the first entertainment cable channel dedicated entirely to the intensely popular and enduring mystery and crime genres. Sleuth offers an exclusive lineup of exciting television shows, movies and other mystery and crime programming from NBC Universal’s vast collection. Popular show titles include Miami Vice, Knight Rider, The A-Team and Homicide: Life on the Street. Sleuth can be seen on channel 148 on Lightband Extra.

MUN2 is the voice of the Latino youth in America, a bilingual multiplatform entertainment network offering authentic content that reflects the lifestyles of this fast growing segment of the population with original, relevant and cutting-edge programs in music, movies, sports, fashion and social activism. Tune to MUN2 on channel 225 on Lightband Extra.
 
In addition to the six new channels being launched on July 1, CDE Lightband will move nine channels from the Lightband Extra lineup to the Lightband Plus lineup. Those channels will be, Toon Disney, ESPN Classic, ESPN News, ESPN U, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Movie Network, Fine Living, SoapNet, and BBC America. Customers have been notified of the pending changes and new channel numbers in June. An updated, complete lineup is available on line at www.clarksvillede.com. “We are very excited about the new channels we will be providing our customers. We have worked hard to provide what we believe is one of the most comprehensive programming lineups in the market,” stated Christy Batts, telecommunications marketing manager for CDE Lightband. “The newest channels certainly offer a wide range of programming choices from Spanish language to sports and news to even horror and mystery,” continued Mrs. Batts.
 
CDE Lightband is continuing its aggressive fiber to the home build out project throughout Clarksville. Over 900 miles of fiber optic construction will be built when the project is complete. Currently over 8,000 homes are prepared to receive the new telecommunications services of digital video and high speed internet. A majority of the homes where service is available are in the Sango areas, areas around Madison Street and Memorial Drive, Dunbar Cave Road area, some areas in New Providence and around Barkers Mill to highlight a few. “Anyone interested in knowing whether their home is ready for our new services should contact the customer service department at 931-648-8151 for help,” stated Mrs. Batts.
 

In reality, there is a certain synchronicity to merging images of an era that saw the origination of television with the reality of fiber-optics “lightning express” [in this case, Lightband] into the future of telecommunications. It is the kind of creative, futuristic thinking that fueled 1950s imaginations in Disney’s Tomorrowland, that erupted and amazed in the futuristic exhibits at World Fairs. Many of us are old enough to have read about “the future” of technology in books by authors like Ray Bradbury or Isaac Asimov. Yesterday’s imaginings turned reality today.

Tuesday evening, the Clarksville Department of Electricity stepped into the future with the unveiling of their new logo, sign, branding and price information for their new Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services that place Clarksville, Tennessee on the cutting edge — nationwide. CDE Lightband is the culmination of years of planning and design, an informational campaign, and legalities including an endorsement by the voters of Clarksville on the referendum question that allowed this far-reaching development to occur.

CDE officials screened a brief video on state of the art high definition televisions that opened with images of cave art, moving quickly forward to those cumbersome console TV sets and the screens with rounded corners, on to early computers with a single “brain” filling an entire room, culminating with today’s pinpoint size fiber optic lines and microchips.

CDE President Kenneth Spradlin said that the CDE was founded 70 years ago based on  “consumer dissatisfaction with what was and a need to look to the future.” He added that a similar displeasure with existing services combined with the growing needs of a community poised for development and already experiencing massive growth made this project a idea whose time had come.

This is the largest deployment of fiber optics in America, according to Cornerstone Information Systems, another of the Project Partners.

“There are few projects anywhere [in America] as ambitious as this,” said Cornerstone’s David Smith. And with those words, a diverse group of city officials, community leaders and businesspeople toured the new facility on Madison Street, eyeing banks of towers, miles of wiring, office space, and potential studio space (not on the plans yet but a distinct possibility) large enough for the inevitable growth this service will experience.

Stephen Hopkins, Vice-President of Telecommunications, CDE Project Partners, said the first customers would be able to access this new network in March, 2008.

The design, construction and implementation of the city-wide project continues to involve companies such as Atlantic Engineering, TCC, World Wide Packet, ETI, Kassena, and Cornerstone Information Systems.

As for the service packages, more details will be coming soon but  judging by preliminary numbers Charter customers would see a savings of around $40 per month for their combined phone, internet, and cable TV service.

When will you be able to get the new CDE Lightband services?

Rotary Park Service Area

Rotary Park to Exit 11

• Construction Completion: January 2008
• Service Available: March 2008

Barkers Mill Service Area

Exit 1 to around Outlaw Field

• Construction Completion: April 2008
• Service Available: June 2008

Dunbar Cave Service Area

Exit 8 to Needmore to the Red River

• Construction Completion: March 2008
• Service Available: May 2008

New Providence Service Area

Red River to 374 and 101st includes Peachers Mill and Lafayette Roads

• Construction Completion: April 2008
• Service Available: June 2008

Primary Service Area (Downtown)

Downtown and APSU areas

• Construction Completion: April 2008
• Service Available: June 2008

Ladd Service Area

Fort Campbell BLVD north of 101st Division Parkway to Tiny Town Road

• Construction Completion: May 2008
• Service Available: July 2008

District Service Area

South Clarksville, roughly Madison to Highway 13 to 41A Bypass.

• Construction Completion: August 2008
• Service Available: October 2008

St. Bethlehem Service Area

101st Division Parkway to North of 1-24 around exit 4

• Construction Completion: May 2008
• Service Available: July 2008

East Service Area

Hospital Area to Red River and 374

• Construction Completion: October 2008
• Service Available: December 2008

Edgeton Service Area

Fort Campbell BLVD North of Tiny Town Road

• Construction Completion: May 2008
• Service Available: July 2008

The standard disclaimers also apply here…

Construction Dates and service availability time-lines are subject to change.

To confirm what area you are in check the map (PDF)

Clarksville Online’s Editor Christine Piesyk contributed to this piece also.

They already control your Internet connection and now want to use that gatekeeper status to be able generate more income for themselves by charging content providers for faster access to your Internet connection. If you speed up some, it goes without saying that you must slow down others. Net Neutrality is important to ensure that small independent sites like Clarksville Online can continue to compete and provide an important alternative voice to corporate media.

Clarksville, TN will not be at the mercy of these corporations with alternatives available like CDE’s Fiber to the Home service which is coming soon.

PBS’s program NOW did a show on this important subject. Lets take a look.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Save the Internet Campaign compiled a frequently asked questions (F.A.Q) to help explain why Net Neutrality is important, why you should care, and steps you can take. Check it out:

What is this about?

This is about Internet freedom. “Network Neutrality” — the First Amendment of the Internet — ensures that the public can view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site by preventing Internet companies like AT&T from rigging the playing field for only the highest-paying sites.

But Internet providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to gut Net Neutrality. If Congress doesn’t take action now to implement meaningful Net Neutrality provisions, the future of the Internet is at risk.

To learn more, read Network Neutrality: Fact vs. Fiction

What is Network Neutrality?

Network Neutrality or “Net Neutrality” for short, is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.

Net Neutrality ensures that all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. With Net Neutrality, the network’s only job is to move data, and not to choose which data to privilege with higher quality service. Net Neutrality prevents the companies that control the wires from discriminating against content based on its source or ownership.

Net Neutrality is the reason why the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online. It’s why the Internet has become an unrivaled environment for open communications, civic involvement and free speech.

Learn more in Net Neutrality 101.

Who wants to get rid of Net Neutrality?

The nation’s largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won’t load at all.

They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. They want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking their competitors.

These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of an even playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services — or those from big corporations that can afford the steep tolls — and leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.

What’s at stake?

Decisions being made now will shape the future of the Internet for a generation. Before long, all media — TV, phone and the Web — will come to your home via the same broadband connection. The dispute over Net Neutrality is about who’ll control access to new and emerging technologies.

On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control — deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There’s no middleman. But without Net Neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.

The Internet has always been driven by innovation. Web sites and services succeeded or failed on their own merit. Without Net Neutrality, decisions now made collectively by millions of users will be made in corporate boardrooms. The choice we face now is whether we can choose the content and services we want, or whether the broadband barons will choose for us.

What’s happening in Congress?

Congress is now considering a major overhaul of the Telecommunications Act. The telephone and cable companies are filling up congressional campaign coffers and hiring high-priced lobbyists. They’ve set up “Astroturf” groups like “Hands Off the Internet” to confuse the issue and give the appearance of grassroots support.

On June 8, the House of Representatives passed the “Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006,” or COPE Act (H.R. 5252) — a bill that offers no meaningful protections for Net Neutrality. An amendment offered by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), which would have instituted real Net Neutrality requirements, was defeated by intense industry lobbying.

It now falls to the Senate to save the free and open Internet. Fortunately, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) have introduced a bipartisan measure, the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2006″ (S. 2917), that would provide meaningful protection for Net Neutrality.

On June 28, the Snowe-Dorgan bill was introduced as an amendment to Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) major rewrite of the Telecom Act (S.2686) [now HR.5252]. The committee split down the middle on the measure, casting a tie vote of 11-11.

Though meaningful Net Neutrality protections were not added to Stevens’ bill, the fight for Internet freedom is gaining serious momentum as the bill moves toward the full Senate later this year. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has threatened to place a “hold” on the entire legislation unless it reinstates Net Neutrality and prevents discrimination on the Internet.

Heading into August recess, the Senate Commerce Committee reclassified the Stevens bill as the “Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act” (HR.5252) to speed it to conference committee should it pass.

Call Congress today: No senator can in good conscience vote against Internet freedom and with the telecom cartel.

Isn’t this just a battle between giant corporations?

No. Small business owners benefit from an Internet that allows them to compete directly — not one where they can’t afford the price of entry. Net Neutrality ensures that innovators can start small and dream big about being the next EBay or Google without facing insurmountable hurdles. Without Net Neutrality, startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on the Web.

But Net Neutrality doesn’t just matter to business owners. If Congress turns the Internet over to the telephone and cable giants, everyone who uses the Internet will be affected. Connecting to your office could take longer if you don’t purchase your carrier’s preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl. Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, planning a trip, or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to pay-for-speed schemes.

Independent voices and political groups are especially vulnerable. Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips, silencing bloggers and amplifying the big media companies. Political organizing could be slowed by the handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups or candidates to pay a fee to join the “fast lane.”

Isn’t the threat to Net Neutrality just hypothetical?

No. By far the most significant evidence regarding the network owners’ plans to discriminate is their stated intent to do so.

The CEOs of all the largest telecom companies have made clear their intent to build a tiered Internet with faster service for the select few companies willing or able to pay the exorbitant tolls.Network Neutrality advocates are not imagining a doomsday scenario. We are taking the telecom execs at their word.

So far, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. But numerous examples show that without network neutrality requirements, Internet service providers will discriminate against content and competing services they don’t like.

• In 2004, North Carolina ISP Madison River blocked their DSL customers from using any rival Web-based phone service.
• In 2005, Canada’s telephone giant Telus blocked customers from visiting a Web site sympathetic to the Telecommunications Workers Union during a labor dispute.
• Shaw, a big Canadian cable TV company, is charging an extra $10 a month to subscribers in order to “enhance” competing Internet telephone services.
• In April, Time Warner’s AOL blocked all emails that mentioned www.dearaol.com — an advocacy campaign opposing the company’s pay-to-send e-mail scheme.

This type of censorship will become the norm unless we act now. Given the chance, these gatekeepers will consistently put their own interests before the public good.

Won’t more regulations harm the free Internet? Shouldn’t we just let the market decide?

Writing Net Neutrality into law would preserve the freedoms we currently enjoy on the Internet. For all their talk about “deregulation,” the cable and telephone giants don’t want real competition. They want special rules written in their favor.

Either we make rules that ensure an even playing field for everyone, or we have rules that hold the Internet captive to the whims of a few big companies. The Internet has thrived because revolutionary ideas like blogs, Wikipedia or Google could start on a shoestring and attract huge audiences. Without Net Neutrality, the pipeline owners will choose the winners and losers on the Web.

The cable and telephone companies already dominate 98 percent of the broadband access market. And when the network owners start abusing their control of the pipes, there will be nowhere else for consumers to turn.

Who’s part of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition?

The SavetheInternet.com coalition is made up of hundreds of groups from across the political spectrum that are concerned about maintaining a free and open Internet. No corporation or political party is funding our efforts. We simply agree to a statement of principles in support of Internet freedom.

The coalition is being coordinated by Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization focused on media reform and Internet policy issues. Please complete this brief survey if your group would like to join this broad, bipartisan effort to save the Internet.

Who else supports Net Neutrality?

The supporters of Net Neutrality include leading high-tech companies such as Amazon.com, Earthlink, EBay, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Skype, Vonage and Yahoo. Prominent national figures such as Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps have called for stronger Net Neutrality protections.

Editorial boards at the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Seattle Times, St. Petersburg Times and Christian Science Monitor all have urged congress to save the Internet.

What can I do to help?

Sign the SavetheInternet.com petition.

Call your members of Congress today and demand that Net Neutrality be protected.

Encourage groups you’re part of to sign the “Internet Freedom Declaration of 2007″.

Show your support for Internet freedom on your Web site or blog.

Tell your friends about this crucial issue before it’s too late.

* Save the internet’s network neutrality FAQ included without permission. Cartoon by Matt Wuerker  originally created for http://www.itsournet.org/  used here with minor modifications.

I called, navigated the myriad options available with Charter’s automated phone system and finally reached a real person. I read the support agent my signals and was told yes, I had a problem, and that they would have to dispatch a technician to my house. But oh so sorry, the first available appointment was Tuesday, November 21st between 8am and 12pm.

It is a sad commentary on Charter Communications, and their service, that I considered myself lucky that the matter was going to be resolved before the Thanksgiving holiday at all.

So I was stuck with a long weekend with no Internet. I don’t have any television service to fall back on, so my primary source of information and entertainment was not available. I was fortunate that I had just purchased Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 for the X-Box. It gave me something to do, keeping me from being bored stiff.

On Monday night. I called and confirmed that my appointment was for the next day, and yes the recording assured me that they would arrive there the next morning between 8am and 12pm.

I wake up about 9am on Tuesday morning. Right off I call Charter, and again confirmed that my appointment was still on schedule. I then got dressed, drove to Sonic and picked up a unsweetened tea and a bacon, egg, and cheese toaster sandwich, and then I went home to await a technician. About 10am I receive a call informing me that a technician was out today, and that they wanted to reschedule my appointment for the following day. Well since I work from home quite a bit and had been without service for four days already, I told them that would be unacceptable. The Charter rep said, “ok”, and hung up the phone. Noon rolls around and I still hadn’t seen a Charter repairman. I call up their service line and speak to an agent to remind them of the appointment and to let them know that I expect the companies I do business with to keep their agreements with me and that I was disappointed that they were late.

About 15 minutes later the Charter repairman shows up at my door. First he checks my signals, and finds there was indeed a problem.

So he goes out to the box on the side of the house to check the signal there. The last technician had placed an access prevention device and a seal, on this box . He had no trouble removing seal but didn’t have the proper tool to remove the access prevention device. He tried to remove it with his multi-tool, but was not successful. Before he could give up I pulled out my toolbox and asked if anything in there would make things easier for him to open it. He said selected a small screwdriver and said it might do the trick. Minutes later he had the access prevention device off. He removes the splitter which was recently added and tested the cable signals straight to the pole and did not find any issues. When they hooked up my upstairs neighbor on cable the technician had installed a TV signal filter on my line since I just purchase Internet and not Television services from Charter. So I suggested that the problem might be a bad filter. After testing the line on my side of the filter the agent agrees. So he removes the filter and hooks me back up direct, problem solved.

I want to thank the Charter serviceman, he went out of his way to get to my house as soon as he got the call that my repair call had not been answered on time. He was professional and very thorough in testing the issue and finding the problem.

I want to publicly state that I have never had problems with Charter’s people, just the company behind them.

During the run-up to the recent referendum, CDE’s general manager Ken Spradlin repeatedly stated that their telecommunications services would operate under the same response time frame as their electrical service. If I had CDE’s services my problem would have been fixed within a few hours instead of having to wait 4 days as with Charter Communications. That being said I am eagerly looking forward to the day that CDE’s TV, Internet, and phone services are available. Once they are ready to deliver the services to my home, they have my business.

FIBER OPTICS, Lighting our Future video. Hear local residents talk about how the Chelan County PUD’s fiber network in Washington State is working for them (6-minutes).This video is also applicable for other communities, like ours who are considering, or planning on building, a municipal fiber network.

CDE has a 70 plus year track record of proven ability to deliver low cost, reliable, electrical services to the residents of Clarksville. They will use that experience in delivering the telecommunications services that the voters of Clarksville will authorize them to deliver in November.

They are building the fiber network not because of the additional services, which will be used to reduce the costs of building, maintaining, and operating the network. Instead they will be laying fiber to enhance their ability to deliver advanced electrical products and other services that cater to the user like select billing. Catering to the customer is something that is alien to Charter Cable.

Competition is competition; it doesn’t matter that CDE is a public entity, if it saves the consumer money and provides more reliable service. 

In Fayetteville, TN Charter cables delivers their expand basic cable service to residents for $28.30 per month. In Clarksville, TN it’s $49.50 per month. The only difference is in Fayetteville, TN  Charter has competition from the local power provider. That’s a savings of $21.65 per month or $259.80 a year. I don’t know about you but I sure could find a use for that money.

Charter receives benefits from being a private company that CDE doesn’t get, and visa versa. But, you won’t hear CDE whining about them being at a disadvantage with Charter, and in certain areas they really are. I frequently hear Charter whining about the possibility of them having to “GASP” actually compete. Competition is the lifeblood of capitalism. Without it you have a monopoly, duopoly, or oligopoly none of which benefit Clarksville residents

CDE doesn’t receive taxpayer funds. This 88 million is not being taken from the City budget or from your property or sales taxes. It’s actually 56 million over 20 years; the 88 million figure quoted by Charter includes interest over the 20-year term. If CDE pays it off quicker than 20 years then the costs will be reduced. I bet you will find this venture will generate enough money to pay it off much quicker than that.

Out of 665 Public power systems offering telecommunication services, only 4 have ceased offering them. That’s .006%, which have stopped offering their telecommunications services. 99.994% are meeting their cities expectation or exceeding them.

CDE has promised that they will deliver the same level of service with their telecommunications services, as they do for their electrical service. Service will be available 24×7x365. If you have a problem at 3am they will fix it that day. This means no 3-week outages as are commonly experienced with Charter cable. That promise covers their Video, Data, and Telephone services.

The taxpayers are not obligated with a revenue bond. Oh but Charter will say but taxpayers are ratepayers. Which is true if you twist the facts. But in reality that is the primary difference between a Revenue bond, which CDE is getting, and a General Obligation bond.

I may have this number off somewhat as I am quoting it from memory but 83-84 cents of every dollar you pay to CDE goes to pay for the electricity purchased from TVA. So only 16-17 cents of every dollar goes to delivering the service, paying employees, for maintenance, and upgrades on their delivery network.

CDE’s current debt load is an amazingly low $7.9 million. Most electrical companies run debt loads between 100-200 million. Sounds like CDE can live in a budget, unlike Charter, which has a 19 Billion-dollar debt load.

CDE revenues come from city residents, and I would much rather see our hard earned cash going to benefit the local economy than being shipped off by Charter to Washington State and Paul Allen’s bank account.

CDE is a local business, operated for local people, by local people. They deserve the chance to provide us the advanced services that we as a community need for the future. Charter had their chance, and they failed Clarksville and it’s residents on their services, price, and reliability.

If Charter meets consumers demand for new products, if their service is reliable, and/or they charge less, then they can successfully compete against a public entity. They are currently doing so in 7 municipalities in Tennessee and they are making a profit in each one. Charter has not left one single market where a public entity is offering telecommunications services.

Charter’s services are not currently reliable. Charter’s services are not priced competitively. Charter’s product offerings lagged behind other areas in Tennessee and the nation, that is until CDE started talking about building Fiber to the Home and offering additional services. Charter neglected our City. It’s time they paid the piper for that.

Private enterprise has proven that they are not interested in breaking Charter’s stranglehold on this town, so CDE has stepped up and offered to do so at the request of their customers.

It would be different if CDE was saying let us be the only provider of Telecommunications services for Clarksville residents. Not one single voter would approve that; even I would oppose that. But the voters should approve choice and competition in our local marketplace on November 7th. Vote yes for CDE to offer additional services.

We have all seen the ads by Charter opposing the Clarksville Department of Electricity offering Cable TV, Phone, and extremely high speed Internet services. They are misleading and for the most part inaccurate.

Charter is not arguing that competition is not good for the consumer and the residents of Clarksville. They are not arguing against the claims that their prices are high, or that they provide poor service to city residents. Instead Charter is attempting to use your fear to sway your reason, to make you vote against your own interests. The residents of Clarksville can not allow that to happen. Their argument basically boils down to spend as much money as you wish, on whatever you wish, just don’t allow CDE to compete with us.

CDE has told me that the arguments they are hearing against them entering the telecommunications business are almost identical to the arguments which City residents heard 70 years ago when Clarksville, TN bought out the private electrical provider and founded CDE. Can anyone say Deja Vu? Unlike the residents 70 years ago we can look at our own history for guidance. Watch this video and see what you think:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

CDE has corrected some of the misinformation that Charter and other opponents of the Fiber Referendum have been clouding the air with. CDE calls it misstating, I call it lying. Well CDE has to be political on this subject matter, I however do not. They have launched a new web site, Vote Yes CDE. They are also holding their yearly Electric Expo on Saturday at the CDE office.