Victory in Lafayette! Victory for Consumer Choice!

In an effort eerily similar to the propaganda campaign launched by SBC and Cox Cable to defeat the TriCity Broadband initiative here in Illinois, BellSouth and Cox Cable attempted the same type of misinformation campaign in Lafayette. But, in a stunning 62% to 38% vote, the citizens of Lafayette approved the Lafayette Fiber to the Home Project. I look forward to seeing the spending figures in this municipal referendum; hopefully they won't be quite as disproportionate as they were in the TriCities referendum, as I reported here.

More importantly, grassroots organizing seems to have innoculated the local community against the worst of the Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt that BellSouth and Cox were engaging in. Overall, and even with massive amounts of money being poured into FUD, the citizens of Lafayette voted pro-muni is substantial numbers.

Here's some choice quotes concerning the referendum's outcomes:

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Mayor Joey Durel: "This is a huge moment for Lafayette and America. Our citizens have sent a powerful message -- Americans want their local governments to do what's necessary to be 21st Century cities second to none."

Utilities Director Terry Huval: "Today, we did what our predecessors did 109 years ago -- we took our future into our own hands... BellSouth and Cox wanted the people of Lafayette to speak, and now the people of Lafayette have spoken loud and clear. Now it's time for BellSouth and Cox to accept what the people have said and stop throwing hurdles in our way."

Lafayette Chief Administrative Officer Dee Stanley: "America won tonight."

City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger: "The vote confirms what the City-Parish council has been saying all along."

Attorney Jim Baller: "The voters of Lafayette have sent a wake-up call to incumbents and legislators across America. It's time for the public and private sectors to put conflicts like this aside and get American broadband moving again."

Congrats to everyone down in Lafayette!