To The Editor:

To attribute the meltdown of the telecommunications industry [“Cities, feds force firms to pay for rights-of-way,” July 2] to “greedy government officials” is to buy in totally and blindly to the misinformation of PR produced by discredited telecommunications.

It’s not greed but responsibility when local governments demand that for-profit companies pay fair rent for the use of public property. Every commuter understands that telecom construction is costly and destructive to an asset conservatively estimated to be worth $10 trillion nationwide.

Telecom companies claim they should pay only the local government’s cost to inspect their work and issue permits. They want taxpayers to pay the immediate costs of disruption and the long-term costs of deteriorated roads from running wires under streets, through waterways and across poles. Is it reasonable or responsible to force taxpayers to pay for the excessive infrastructure replacement and repair costs just to subsidize telecom companies? Most people believe that those who cause the problems should help pay to relieve the problems.

Local governments have a wealth of issues to address, but not much wealth. If we deprive local governments of the ability to charge fair rents for the property they own, whether kiosks in airports, arenas for rock concerts, or water and sewer and garbage collection, we push them further toward reduced services and reduced capital investments.

If we want vibrant, strong cities and counties with diverse populations and healthy economies, we need to protect the principle of local ability to deal with its own assets. Allowing them to charge reasonable rents for use of public rights of way is only fair.


Marilyn Praisner
Montgomery County (MD) County Council
Chair, National Association of Counties Telecommunications Subcommittee