June 2012

"Job killer." You don't have to listen very long to what passes in American politics for debate about the economy before you hear that phrase. Usually it's wielded by Republicans against their Democratic opponents although Democrats occasionally resort to it, too. During an era of economic anxiety and less-than-optimal job growth, it's safe to say that the charge that a policy destroys jobs doesn't endear that policy with many voters, giving it a potency that probably helps explain the frequency of the term's use.

The allegation also largely goes unchallenged by the media, according to two scholars who reviewed media mentions of "job killer" from 1984 to 2011 and found that use of the term has not only exploded during President Obama's White House tenure but that it's often used uncritically by journalists reporting on policy debates or presidential politics. Peter Dreier, a political science professor at Occidental College and Christopher Martin, a communications studies professor at the University of Northern Iowa, don't so much blame the politicians who toss around the term as much as the news media who use it with little to no examination.

While broadband infrastructure has been deployed in a vast majority of communities across the country, today too many areas still lack adequate access to this crucial resource. For these areas, decisions on access to Federal property and rights of way can be essential to the deployment of both wired and wireless broadband infrastructure.

The Federal Government controls nearly 30 percent of all land in the United States, owns thousands of buildings, and provides substantial funding for State and local transportation infrastructure, creating significant opportunities for executive departments and agencies (agencies) to help expand broadband infrastructure. In order to ensure a coordinated and consistent approach in implementing agency procedures, requirements, and policies related to access to Federal lands, buildings, and rights of way, federally assisted highways, and tribal lands to advance broadband deployment, there is established a Broadband Deployment on Federal Property Working Group (Working Group), to be co-chaired by representatives designated by the Administrator of General Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security (Co-Chairs) from their respective agencies, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (Director) and in coordination with the Chief Performance Officer (CPO). Within 1 year of the date of this order, the Working Group shall report to the Steering Committee on Federal Infrastructure Permitting and Review Process Improvement on the progress that has been made in implementing the actions mandated by this Executive Order.

The head of marketing at Verizon Wireless has defended the new shared data plans that take effect June 28 against criticism from some analysts and many outraged customers.

Steve Mesnick said the Share Everything plans aren't being forced on existing customers and will mainly benefit workgroups and families with multiple smartphones who want to share data across as many as 10 devices. "We're allowing the existing customer base to have a choice ... we're not forcing anyone to more to new plans... I take exception to [comments] of people leaving Verizon," he said. One analyst said that Verizon mishandled the introduction of the new plans, which could hurt the company. But Mesnick said the announcement was made well in advance of the June 28 launch to give the public time to absorb a large amount of information that fundamentally changes how voice, text and data services are charged.