Slowly but steadily we’re opening our central campaign office, located at 600 5^th Street in Ames.  For those involved in Dr. Spencer’s campaign in 2006, it’s the same office suite.  I use the word “slowly” to acknowledge that creating the necessary office infrastructure – such mundane but essential matters as desks and chairs, working space and storage space, networks and systems – requires time and patience.  Often, the press of schedules, deadlines, and emerging priorities intervenes and interrupts efforts that might otherwise be directed to settling in.  The good news:  we now have an office and it’s opening up deliberately…  like a flower.  Soon we’ll be in full bloom.  And, yes, we’ll schedule an open house and invite everyone to stop by and say hello.

Mention of infrastructure reminds me of the need for Washington leadership to ensure that our country is making wise, long-term investments in the infrastructure required for life in the 21^st century… roads and bridges, of course, but also an electricity transmission grid and a high-speed Internet infrastructure to ensure modern telecommunication benefits for Iowans.

High-speed Internet creates incredible opportunities to improve our work lives, our community lives, and our personal lives.  Unfortunately, the U.S. has fallen behind other countries when it comes to providing access to high-speed Internet connections.  (In 2005, we were 16^th internationally, having fallen from 11^th place in 2002.)  We’ve tended to rely on market forces, an approach that doesn’t always serve Iowans well. 

Currently, millions of Americans, especially those living in rural and low-income areas, do not have access to high speed broadband since it doesn’t pay for providers to make the necessary infrastructure investments in these communities.  Only 17% of adults in rural communities have broadband (compared to 31% in urban communities and 30% in suburban communities) and only 15.8% of farm households have broadband.  In recent decades, there has been considerable talk about the “digital divide” between those who have Internet access and those who don’t.  We cannot now let a high-speed divide isolate rural Iowans from the rest of the world.  Ensuring that an appropriate Internet bridge is in place requires a national policy to guarantee high speed Internet access for all Americans.  It requires Washington to demonstrate leadership aimed at bringing about real results.

Fourth district Iowans expect this from Congress.  I am committed to doing everything possible to help bring about this change.  In the meantime, to learn more about the issue of high-speed Internet access, I direct your attention to www.speedmatters.org.  It’s well worth visiting this website… especially if you’re one of the fortunate Iowans with high-speed access!