Posts Tagged: Department of Commerce

Broadband cash for Chicago

By Matthew Blake | Aug 03 2010 at 09:13 | Your take

Broadband funding in the stimulus bill was largely billed as for rural areas without internet access. However, Chicago  will also get some of that federal money, the Associated Press reports. Two Chicago groups will get a combined $16 million in stimulus money for broadband, with the Dept. of Commerce providing $7 million to the Smart Chicago Broadband Adoption Program and $9 million to the Smart Chicago Public Computer Centers project.  The public computer centers project will (more…)

Topics: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Beltway Outsider, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Commerce, Government in My Backyard (GIMBY)
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Commerce Dept. Hires Dora the Explorer For Census

By Matthew Blake | Jan 15 2010 at 11:55 | Your take

The Washington Post’s Carol Morello reports on the Commerce Department’s aggressive  and somewhat amusing efforts to promote the U.S. Census:

The paid advertising is part of a $340 million campaign to promote the once-a-decade count. The money will also pay for census material for schoolchildren, a traveling road show of census buses at parades and festivals around the country and partnerships with groups that can get distribute give-away trinkets and placards.

Officials envision commuters being blanketed with the message that the census is easy, important and unthreatening. Commuters will hear ads on their car radios or see placards on buses and subways. Their children might repeat what Dora the Explorer says about the census. (more…)

Topics: Beltway Outsider, Census Bureau, Dept. of Commerce
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