Yet again, here is the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Which leads reasonable people to think, for example, "If all 50 states have a Department of X? The federal government should not have a Department of X."
Because a federal 51st Department of X would be redundant. And unconstitutional.
I didn't spend the last several months scouring the multiple websites of every state government in the Union, but I will nevertheless assert with nigh moral certitude that all 50 states have multiple programs dedicated to welfare, including for telecommunications – Internet, telephone, etc.
So federal (telecom) welfare programs are redundant. And unconstitutional.
When it comes to the Internet, all of the government programs – federal, state, and local – have been nothing more than a waste of hundreds of billions of dollars. For more than a decade.
If nearly all of us were connected a decade-plus ago, with technology from a decade-plus ago, what do you think has happened since?
It's just one way our hundreds of billions of Internet dollars have been wasted. Besides government not needing to participate, government is great at choosing the wrong way to participate.
There is currently underway yet another one-off massive expenditure of additional federal funds – $42.45 billion – on the redundant, unconstitutional Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Despite 99 percent of U.S. private citizens last year choosing wireless Internet for their homes, state and local governments are spending the federal BEAD tens of billions, mostly on wired connections.
Even worse than their choices of technology is the execution of their choices.
Speaking of wasting government (tech) money, behold, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom.
As reported by Stephen Green of PJ Media, "FCC chair Brendan Carr has a pointed question for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, politely paraphrased as, 'Where in the actual hell did the $450 million go, and where's that new 911 system it was supposed to buy?'
"The same week he was first sworn in as governor, Newsom said, 'The idea that it's 2019, and we are using analog systems designed decades ago is astounding, and we need to make investments to make sure the technology aligns with the devices people are using in their daily lives.' He added that 'California's antiquated, analog microwave network must be upgraded to a digital network to maintain safety operations.'
"That was seven years ago. Since then, Newsom spent $450 million to build a new system, 'but when it came time to turn it on, it did not work,' Carr wrote on Tuesday."
Seven years. Nearly half a billion dollars. Green continues:
"The new big thing is Next Generation 911 (NG911) that is based on internet protocols (IP) and works much more like your smartphone does. It can handle texts to 911, photos or videos of emergencies, precise location data, streaming video, and even data-sharing between dispatchers and first responders in real time.
"That's the fancy way of saying that the next-generation system gets more information to first responders even faster, while allowing them to deploy more quickly and intelligently. Put it all together, and more lives are saved, more property is protected."
That sounds like a great idea. Newsom certainly thought so when he whined seven years ago about California not having it.
Only now – seven years later – California still doesn't have it. It also doesn't have the $450 million it was alleging to have spent upon it.
No one paying actual attention is surprised by Newsom and California's extraordinary incompetence (and corruption).
Shun Waste reports:
"One glaring example (aforementioned) is the state's investment in the 211 (911) system….
"Consider (also) the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), a decades-old platform designed to share criminal justice data across agencies. Despite repeated upgrades and an estimated $50 million in investments, the system remains plagued by inefficiencies, compatibility issues, and security vulnerabilities.
"Another instructive case is the California Child Support Automation System (CCSAS), launched in 2010 at a cost of over $2 billion. Intended to streamline child support payments, the system was plagued by technical glitches, data inaccuracies, and delays, causing significant hardship for families. After years of criticism, the state was forced to overhaul the system, effectively writing off a substantial portion of the initial investment.
"High-Speed Rail Project: Billions spent, limited progress, and ongoing delays….
"Bullet Train Construction: Over-budget, behind schedule, and questionable long-term value (yes, another train debacle)….
"Since 2018, the state has spent over $20 billion on homelessness initiatives, with an additional $12 billion earmarked in the 2023-24 budget. Despite this massive investment, the number of unsheltered individuals has risen by 22% since 2018….
"Consider the Bay Bridge retrofit, initially budgeted at $250 million in the 1990s but ultimately costing over $6.5 billion by its completion in 2013….(a) staggering 2,500% cost increase….
"A 2019 audit by the California State Auditor revealed a disturbing pattern. The report found that Caltrans consistently underestimates project costs, fails to adequately manage contractors, and lacks effective oversight mechanisms…."
We could go on, and on, and... but you get the idea.
Newsom has been awful for years. California has been awful for decades. I don't live in California because I have an IQ above nine on a warm day. Because I don’t want to be on the hook for the incompetent crooks California rigidly insists upon electing.
But I am on the hook for the incompetent crooks California rigidly insists upon electing because redundant, unconstitutional federal programs are funding California's incompetence and corruption.
Let them waste their own money. Leave me out of it.
Oh, which happens to be but one of the reasons the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution was written and ratified.
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