Republicans kill jobs and business growth with rejection of expansion of broadband federal money. It would hurt AT&T.

Wisconsin’s job killing Gov. Scott Walker continues to pick winners and losers for potential job growth. One thing is obvious, campaign contributors to the Republican Party are the new “protected class.”

WisPolitics: Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) released the following statement after Governor Scott Walker announced he is returning a $23 million federal grant approved by the Joint Committee on Finance last legislative session to expand broadband internet:  

“Today, Governor Scott Walker continues a pattern of turning away Wisconsinite’s federal taxpayer dollars that create jobs and sending them to other states. By his actions Walker is perpetuating our job crisis. Not only is he turning away construction jobs that would have come with the federal grant to expand broadband fiber to schools and libraries across Wisconsin, but he’s closing off potential to business growth that comes with bridging the digital divide.  

“What’s worse, the root of his decision wasn’t what was in the best interest of Wisconsin, rather the best interest of his big telecommunications campaign donors.”

Jsonline: 

The money was to have boosted broadband connections in 380 Wisconsin communities, including 385 libraries and 82 schools. It also could have been used to improve police, fire department and hospital communications in rural areas. But state taxpayers would have been on the hook for the entire $23 million if the state could not meet the grant's precise requirements. 

Mike Huebsch, secretary of the state Department of Administration, said … "This is simply not an acceptable risk." 

Huebsch is saying the state can’t meet it obligation? The REAL reason Huebsch and his fellow Republicans are against it; corporate influence. 

The money would have been used for the BadgerNet Converged Network, which brings the Internet to schools, libraries, and state and local government agencies. BadgerNet, however, runs on infrastructure owned and managed primarily by AT&T Inc. - and that became a sticking … AT&T did not want to be a sub-recipient of the grant. Robert Bocher, an information technology consultant for the Department of Public Instruction (said), "From a corporate perspective, they did not want to get bogged down in federal grant regulations," he said. 

State Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) said Walker's administration was hurting the state.
"Not only is he turning away construction jobs that would have come with the federal grant to expand broadband fiber to schools and libraries across Wisconsin, but he's closing off potential to business growth that comes with bridging the digital divide," Pocan said. "What's worse, the root of his decision wasn't what was in the best interest of Wisconsin, rather the best interest of his big telecommunications campaign donors." 

Employees of AT&T Inc. and its political action committee donated more than $20,000 to Walker's campaign...