Welcome to the first issue of Let's Talk Broadband, a quarterly e-newsletter for California local government officials up to speed on broadband (high-speed internet) issues brought to you by the California Emerging Technology Fund and Valley Vision.  

We will be posting interviews with Leaders in Action to hear how they are working to close the Digital Divide.  Our first conversations are with José Cisneros, the Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco, and the current President of the League of California Cities (LCC), and Mountain View Councilmember Mike Kasperzak, a past LCC president.

Treasurer José Cisneros

José Cisneros says that the digital divide mirrors the financial divide that has left so many Americans stuck outside of the financial mainstream and dependent on high-cost and often predatory fringe financial services. He launched the Office of Financial Empowerment in San Francisco to help lower-income residents enter the financial mainstream, build assets, and plan for a financially stable future.

"Universal and affordable broadband access is a wealth-building tool with the power to improve economic prospects for those in San Francisco and throughout this state," he says.  Today, the internet is a primary means of engaging with your bank or credit union and to access savings tools and financial education resources - to say nothing of job opportunities, government services, and other crucial supports for families and individuals. The Office of Financial Empowerment is engaging partners in the private and nonprofit sector to identify and develop new and innovative financial products and technology that can help support wealth-building and financial education.

Please click here to read the full interview with Treasurer Cisneros and to learn about CurrenC SF, an initiative to bring working households into the financial mainstream through direct deposit and electronic payroll, reducing reliance on high-cost check cashing services. Over 120 employers are participating in CurrenC SF.

Councilmember Mike Kasperzak

Mike Kasperzak has served on the Mountain View City Council for five years, including a stint as Mayor.  In that role, he has worked with hometown company, Google, on citywide wifi.  Mountain View was one of the first cities to receive free Google wifi, but as he reports, that technology is now out of date.  They will continue free wifi access in downtown outdoors spaces and are offering grants for libraries and senior and recreational centers.

More recently, Google has announced that Mountain View is one of several cities under consideration for Google Fiber.  "We are learning with fiber that the concept is easy. The technology is seductive but the details are onerous, so it is a good idea to look before you leap. Don't be afraid of the future but go into it wide-eyed and ask lots of questions," he advises.  Please click here to read the full interview with Councilmember Kasperzak and learn about more about how Google is interacting with cities.