Municipal (town) cable versus private industry.
This debate goes back decades to a time when cable was first introduced or expanded.
The locally elected representatives - the selectmen - had a choice in the beginning to undertake the vast costs of wiring the towns or having private industry pay for this.
Most towns choice private industry. Some did not.
During the 1980's there was a movement to privatize many government activities. Private industry can do things better and cheaper then then government was the mantra.
Public works were privatized in some communities. Prisons, Fire Departments, etc. were privatized.
At about this same time cable technology was expanding rapidly.
Each town had to make a decision as to how cable would become available to their town.
Talk to your former selectmen and ask why your town chose the private cable company over a municipal cable company.
All is a great debate that continues today.
Imagine any town asking taxpayers to pay to put cable wire on every pole throughout the town. Then a decade later asking these same taxpayers to pay to put fiber optic cable throughout the town.
What would the taxpayers in your town decide?
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