[sllug-members]: UTOPIA - any advice?

[Jon Fullmer]

I don't mean to beat the UTOPIA topic to death, but I got some  
unfortunate news recently.

Cottonwood Heights (where I live) had been considering UTOPIA.  While  
they haven't officially dropped the idea, it's not likely to survive.  
The August 2007 Government Finance Review had an article that  
mentioned that municipally-owned infrastructures (like UTOPIA) have  
typically been most successful in areas where private enterprises  
were not willing or able to provide service. The logic is that  
because Qwest and Comcast provide "service" to the city, UTOPIA may  
not be as successful.

I plan to at least let the council know how ludicrous this is.  
Neither Qwest nor Comcast are going to bring fiber to my house, nor  
are they going to provide the level of "service" provided by UTOPIA.  
But aside from expressing my disdain, do any of you have any other  
suggestions?

My technical/geek skills are strong, but my political skills are  
weak.  Any help would be appreciated.

  - Jon