April 17, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: We in Collierstown have been waiting for years and years for rural broadband. BARC was able to announce last year that they had finally secured the funding from the federal government, and a community meeting held to unveil their plan was attended by several hundred of us.
Now I have found out that the new budget approved by Congress, including our own Ben Cline, cuts all funding for rural broadband in favor of tax relief for billionaires. The BARC program has been cancelled.
Does Ben Cline work for us or does he work for the billionaires? If you have been waiting for broadband, or if you have benefited from earlier government programs to provide it, consider letting Ben know what you think about his vote. You can call his Staunton office at (540) 885-3861, or the Roanoke office at (540) 857-2672. DAPHINE RAZ Collierstown
