Four the Future - October 6

Cell towers in the 'burbs, Wi-Fi in the sticks, losing health care out yonder, and sprawling taxes.

• Bend considers cell phone tower restriction
  Source: Oregonian; September 10, 2010
  Summary: The City of Bend, Oregon is considering restrictions on cell phone tower size and location which may ban them from residential areas.
  Opinion: Cell phone towers are a common planning issue because they are considered visual blight. Yet, cell phone use is on the rise. Indeed, smart phones require even greater access for their heavy Internet usage. The issue is that of community density, ultimately. It's difficult to provide cell service to a widely spread out area. Some alternatives include a requirement for collocation (that is, requiring that several carriers utilize a single tower, when possible) and camouflaging them to appear as something else, like trees.
  
• Federal grant bringing Wi-Fi to rural Inland Northwest areas
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 15, 2010
  Summary: A federal grant is paying for the installation of WiMAX (4G) technology in rural areas of Spokane, Stevens and Ferry counties which generally do not have access to wired broadband service. The grant was made available through the American Recover and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or "the stimulus"). It will be available to approximately 3,600 businesses and 30 community groups. Nonprofits will receive service at half the price. Speeds can be as high as 10Mbps.
  Opinion: Servicing rural areas with any modern technology is expensive, hence the state’s emphasis on restraining sprawl. Rural electrification was done the same way, with significant government intervention.
  
• Providence to close Deer Park rehab clinic
  Source: Spokesman-Review; September 29, 2010
  Summary: Providence Health Care is closing Deer Park's clinic because Providence is unwilling to make upgrades.
  Opinion: A couple years ago, they closed down the hospital, too. Impossible to say, but this could be caused in part because way too much of the money we spend on health care goes to insurance companies rather than supplying actual help.
  
• Boundary changes considered for eastside elementary schools
  Source: Liberty Lake Splash; September 29, 2010
  Summary: Due to growth within the Central Valley School District, a planned elementary school will already be over capacity the day it opens.
  Opinion: This is another problem with sprawl. Spokane (District 81) School District recently closed an elementary school because of low enrollment. Yet, right next door in Central Valley, they're behind by one elementary school, and even that one will be full the day it opens. So, there's no net benefit, but a huge capital cost.