I’m posting the following, portions of an email I received from Georgia Johnson in Aitkin Minnesota…

I am 80 years old I feel the school children need [broadband] it in the  rural areas to keep up with their peers.  I feel we need it for economic development,  realtors can’t sell property which would increase our tax base, those wanting to retire here have high speed Internet where they live now and want it here at their retirement homes they may want to build in the rural areas of Aitkin County.

We have the largest % of older folks living on fixed incomes of MN counties, we need tax relief, levies going up, new 65 million dollar school proposal trying to pass again, yet our water and sewer lines are about to crumble.

It’s an interesting take on the direct return on investment for broadband.