Friday, August 3, 2012

Democrat rents farmland to telecom, sponsors legislation favorable to that telecom

An Iowa Democratic House member has raked in more than $50,000 since 2002 for hosting a cell phone tower on his property, while sponsoring a number of bills designed to boost rural telecommunications.
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D., Iowa) rents out a small portion of his farmland to Chat Mobility, a telecommunications company that provides cellular coverage to rural communities in southwest Iowa. Since 2002, he has made about $5,000 per year renting out the space for a cell phone tower operated by Chat Mobility, formerly known as Lyrix Wireless, according to his financial disclosure filings.
He signed the contract with the company shortly after he cosponsored the Rural Telecommunications Enhancement Act of 2001, which would have allowed the Department of Agriculture to make loan guarantees and provide subsidies to telecommunication firms that enhance cellular service in rural environments.
That bill died in committee, but Boswell has been a reliable advocate for helping telecommunications companies looking to expand to rural areas. In 2009, he voted in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allocated more than $7 billion to rural telecommunications, Internet, and cellular expansion.

Read more: freebeacon.com/can-you-hear-me-now/

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