Yesterday’s New York Times had a column on broadband innovation and a potential federal investment as part of the forthcoming stimulus proposal. The article cites a new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) calling for a “$30 billion” investment in “the nation’s digital infrastructure.” The ITIF report, “The Digital Road to Recovery: A Stimulus Plan to Create Jobs, Boost Productivity and Revitalize America,” is to be released Wednesday. Yesterday’s article didn’t mention the special interest relationship ITIF’s backers have with such a proposed broadband “bailout.” We haven’t seen the report yet (ITIF says it will be available Wednesday). But we hope it explains how the major digital media companies and lobbyists which help govern the ITIF will likely benefit from such federal funding.
For example, ITIF’s board includes representatives of IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems. The ITIF itself is an affiliate of the Information technology Industry Council, which says it’s “the tech industry’s most effective lobbying organization in Washington.” The council’s members include, among many others, Time Warner, Dell, Corning, and eBay.
Pork–whether for building bridges to nowhere or of the digital variety–doesn’t belong in a stimulus package. Broadband investment is important. But the public deserves full disclosure about who may benefit from the use of federal funds.
