Madison Heights council opposes wireless moratorium
By Audra Quinn
C & G Staff Writer
Madison Heights’ City Council has passed a resolution opposing the moratorium placed on Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s “Wireless Oakland” initiative, which hopes to provide free wireless Internet service to every resident, business and visitor within the 910 square-mile county.
Patterson announced the initiative at the State of the County address he gave in February, explaining that after an intensive national review, the program would be “one-of-a-kind” in its scale and vision.
In June, State Rep. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, introduced a bill that, if passed, would create a legislative moratorium on wireless expansion, reducing Patterson’s “tech cloud” over Oakland County to a puff of smoke.
The goals of “Wireless Oakland” include enhancing Oakland County in its ability to attract and retain high-tech and nanotechnology corporations, making it a “great place to live, work, and play,” as well as addressing the “digital divide.”
Phil Bertolini, deputy county executive and chief information officer, explained at the State of the County address that with the diversity of economic and education levels within the county, there is a large population of residents that is lacking “the computer technology and skills necessary to meet the growing demands of high-tech employers.” The initiative aims to remedy this “digital divide” by providing computers and technology training to this “vulnerable group of residents.”
Soon after Patterson proclaimed that free “wireless fidelity,” better known as Wi-Fi, would debut in Oakland County by the end of 2006, Nofs, who is chairman of the House Energy and Technology Committee, announced a plan to redraft Michigan’s Communications Act, which is nearing its expiration date. The new act, if passed, will impose a “moratorium” on local wireless initiatives like Patterson’s, until Michigan lawmakers can create a uniform standard of regulation for the state.
Patterson expressed his infuriation over the moratorium in a press conference held June 13, calling it “outrageous and short-sighted.”
“State Rep. Nofs ought to be applauding Oakland County for trying to rebuild Michigan’s economy, not standing in its way,” Patterson said. “Nofs’ idea to slap a moratorium on Wireless Oakland and all wireless expansion in the state will bring our competitors around the world to their feet cheering.”
Madison Heights officials agree with Patterson, especially after the city has completed the application process to be a pilot community for the program.
“The intent was, well the obvious being to make it a better place to live, but there was a good economic reason behind it, and that was to make the county a good place to invest in, for small, start-up businesses that could have access to the Internet,” said Council member Robert Corbett.
Council member Margene Scott also saw the initiative as a valuable recruitment tool. “[Patterson] went around not just in the nation, but internationally in the global economy, and wireless was his drawing card to bring business here. To down-put this or deny it I think would be stupid,” she said.
Corbett went on to say, “If this were 500 years ago, that would make about as much sense as limiting how many books could be distributed. It’s about the same sort of thing. I have no idea what the political reasoning behind it is, all I know is, it’s absolutely the dumbest thing I’ve heard coming out of Lansing. It really is. It’s senseless,” he said.
With the slow economy that has been plaguing Michigan since 2001, Corbett contends that “the last thing the state of Michigan needs are moratoriums on the expansion of the initiatives to bring business and technology into the state.”
Madison Heights City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the moratorium and “recognizing that outstanding initiatives such as Wireless Oakland are crucial to revving Michigan’s economy and ensuring the accessibility of technology for future generations.”
Copies of the resolution have been forwarded to Patterson and Nofs, as well as Gov. Jennifer Granholm and various other state officials.