On Sept. 3, a bipartisan supermajority in the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $30 million for rural broadband to help rural areas impacted by the pandemic.
The next day, Gov. Roy Cooper issued a press release, taking credit for our work, with the following statement: “This budget followed my recommendations on school enrollment funding and invested in important areas like high speed internet access…”
Seventy-five days after the legislation passed, and 74 days after Gov. Cooper touted the investment, his administration quietly ripped this money and broadband from the hands of rural North Carolinians.
The lack of communication and unilateral action disproportionately impacts citizens in our rural areas. Have the people’s expectations and standards for government really become so low that we really accept 75 days with zero communication as reasonable?
I reject that idea.
Internet providers completed their applications in October and the Department of Information Technology (DIT) scheduled grant awards to begin no later than Nov. 9.
U.S. Treasury guidance for acceptable use for these funds did not change in the 74 days between the Governor’s press release and the misguided decision to take back the funds.
There are a number of lawyers that disagree on the reasonable use of the CARES Act funds, even though reports indicate roughly half of the United States used those funds for broadband.
Let the lawyers spend their time arguing.
I want to spend my time addressing real problems and helping real people.
If there was an overwhelming concern about using the funds for broadband, it should have been brought up within a week of the appropriation — not 75 days later. That would have given us time to obtain more official guidance from the U.S. Treasury. Now, we don’t have that luxury.
I believe we have some good people involved in the Governor’s administration, who have sincerely held concerns regarding the program guidelines. I also believe rural North Carolinians need champions who will advocate for them. I think we should all agree that 75 days without communication on this topic is indefensible.
The people deserve better.
I did not choose to serve in the Senate for a title, or the $13,951 annual salary. I wanted to serve to help stop things like this from being done to people of rural North Carolina.
I don’t just represent one district. I represent all rural North Carolinians.
Rural lawmakers, regardless of their political affiliations, need to understand we must stand together on issues of this nature.
This decision is a slap in the face we cannot quietly accept.
We can passionately disagree on an issue and still find a way to find the best solution for the people. We have an opportunity to make this fiasco right, and we must keep pushing for our constituents. The people of Eastern North Carolina will be heard — one way, or another.
State Sen. Jim Perry, R-Lenoir, is co-majority whip of the N.C. Senate.
