The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors is providing $11 million to increase internet availability in the county.
In the 21st century, internet access is as vital as telephone access was in the last century. It is critical to businesses, medical services, at-home employees, and homeschooling. Yet, according to Cardinal News, about 12,000 homes in Pittsylvania County are without proper internet access.
Internet providers are private businesses where profit is essential. They cannot provide their services to remote locations at a reasonable cost to consumers and maintain profits. Government subsidization in such cases is necessary.
Out of the $11 million for this project, $6.5 million comes from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, a bill Congressman Bob Good did not support. If the congressman had had his way, the county would have been short of the funds necessary to complete this project.
Add that to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's withdrawal from the Ford battery plant proposal, which would have provided the county with 2,500 jobs, and an observation emerges. The county's voters have been way more loyal to the Republican party than the party has been to them.
Steve Bailey, Richmond