<div dir="ltr"><div>So was there/is there pre-contact and eventual support from our congressional delegation?<br></div>-tom johnson<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 2:33 PM, Brunner, Terry - RD, Albuquerque, NM <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Terry.Brunner@nm.usda.gov" target="_blank">Terry.Brunner@nm.usda.gov</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I too am disappointed that this particular application wasn't funded. If it helps to know, this program, Community Connects, and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine program are heavily oversubscribed. In other words, we receive far more applications than we are able to fund. In the case of Community Connects, I believe we had more than $100 million in requests, but were allocated approximately $20 million in funding for the program.<br>
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That doesn't make things better in Ramah, but we will continue to try our best to help that community through other sources.<br>
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<br>
Terry Brunner<br>
State Director<br>
USDA Rural Development-New Mexico<br>
6200 Jefferson, NE Room 255<br>
Albuquerque, NM 87109<br>
Office: <a href="tel:%28505%29%20761-4950" value="+15057614950">(505) 761-4950</a><br>
Fax: <a href="tel:%28505%29%20761-4976" value="+15057614976">(505) 761-4976</a><br>
Follow me on Twitter @Terrybrunner<br>
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-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a href="mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org">1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org">1st-mile-nm-bounces@mailman.dcn.org</a>] On Behalf Of Richard Lowenberg<br>
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 2:12 PM<br>
To: 1st mile nm<br>
Subject: [1st-mile-nm] Fwd: Community Connect Grants<br>
<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: Community Connect Grants<br>
Date: 25.10.2013 10:13<br>
From: Les Matthews <<a href="mailto:les@mesacapitalpartners.us">les@mesacapitalpartners.us</a>><br>
<br>
As you are aware the USDA/RUS announced yesterday $20.3M in Community<br>
Connect Grant Awards for 2013 to 14 recipients. Once again New Mexico,<br>
despite having one of the poorest rankings in rural broadband<br>
penetration in the nation was left out. The last time New Mexico<br>
received one of these awards was in 2009. Since that time at least 6<br>
applications have been denied.<br>
This years snub was especially painful. It was for the Pine Hill-Ramah<br>
Navajo areas. The application covered 1,700 residents that have NO<br>
access to broadband. The only internet available to this community is<br>
satellite internet, which doesn't meet the USDA/RUS definition of<br>
broadband, and costs $80.00/mo. This community, according to the 2010<br>
census is the poorest community in the state. It has 70% unemployment.<br>
This grant would have been a lifeline to them. I would have created<br>
jobs, and online educational and employment opportunities.<br>
The community contracted out the engineering and grant writing of this<br>
grant to ACRS in Oklahoma City. ACRS's clients over the past 10 years<br>
have been awarded over 50% of all Community Connect Grants, so a weak<br>
grant application wasn't one of the problems here. Even a commitment of<br>
matching funds in cash was provided ($180,000). The application was<br>
accompanied by letters of support from the entire New Mexico<br>
Congressional Delegation, The Ramah Navajo Tribal Council, Several<br>
tribal/community leaders, over 200 residents, and NMDOiT.<br>
This year, due to the short timeline for grant submissions after the<br>
posting of the NOFA, a smaller number of applications was received by<br>
the USDA/RUS for these grants. The USDA dispatched their local GFR's to<br>
the field to confirm broadband availability for about half of the<br>
applications. This application didn't even make that cut. Why is that<br>
New Mexico keeps being ignored by the USDA/RUS for these important<br>
grants?<br>
<br>
Les Matthews<br>
505 690 0207<br>
<br>
--<br>
----------------------------------------<br>
Richard Lowenberg, Executive Dir.<br>
1st-Mile Institute, 505-603-5200<br>
P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504<br>
<a href="http://www.1st-mile.org" target="_blank">www.1st-mile.org</a> <a href="mailto:rl@1st-mile.org">rl@1st-mile.org</a><br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div>==========================================<br>J. T. Johnson<br>Institute for Analytic Journalism -- Santa Fe, NM USA<a href="http://www.analyticjournalism.com/" target="_blank"></a><br>
505.577.6482(c) 505.473.9646(h)<br>Twitter: jtjohnson<br></div><div><a href="http://slideshare.net/jtjohnson/presentations" target="_blank">slideshare.net/jtjohnson/presentations</a><br>
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