“In this case, we just need a starting point, and in a couple of years, we’ll have data on what it costs to actually operate the network and then you could probably adjust the costs accordingly,”
Dan Lindberg IT Director Douglas county wi
Lies, Damn Lies, and City Accounting
How much has the City of Superior spearheaded by Councilor Tylor Elm really spent on its so-called “open-access” broadband project we’ll rename Bankrupt-Superior.
If you ask city officials, they’ll tell you it’s only about some million.
But if you check the actual numbers, the real price tag so far is at least $7 million.
Hoping no one notices the $7 million that’s already vanished.
And here’s the kicker: this is just the beginning.
While the city is downplaying the cost, they told the Public Service Commission (PSC) they would be spending at least $50 million.
So not only have they already spent 7 million, but they’re planning to keep throwing tens of millions more into this scheme—without ever holding a public referendum.
And leading the charge? Mayor Jim Paine, and Tylor Elm the same guys who didn’t think your taxes wouldn’t go up—before they skyrocketed by 90% for some homeowners.
Jim Paine’s Broken Promises: Taxes Up, Accountability Down
Let’s rewind.
🔻 Mayor Jim Paine told you your taxes wouldn’t go up.
🔻 Then property tax bills exploded—up to 90% in some cases.
🔻 Now he and the members of the Clown Council are using your money to bankroll a $50 million internet scheme you never voted for.
And how is he justifying this?
By pretending they’ve only spent Grant money or free money (we think they mean tax money unless they have a money tree.)
This is not a small oversight—it’s a deliberate lie to cover up how fast Jim and Tylors TaxPayerNet is bleeding taxpayer money.
The Broadband Boondoggle: What They Don’t Want You to Know
The city keeps calling this an “open-access” network it’s not, but here’s what that actually means for Bankrupt-Superior :
🚫 The two so-called ISPs don’t own any real infrastructure. They’re just billing middlemen, reselling internet that you, the taxpayer, already paid to build.
🚫 You don’t actually have a choice. Every customer is a city customer, and your only real decision is which logo appears on your bill.
🚫 This is an old telecom scam with a fresh coat of paint. Back in the 1970s, phone companies pulled the same trick—pretending to offer competition while reselling the same service at a markup. Now, Superior is using taxpayer money to do the exact same thing.
This isn’t broadband competition.
This isn’t innovation.
This is a government-controlled, price fixed, tax-funded monopoly.
Based on this logic, if you give your neighbor your Wi-Fi password and charge them $20 a month, congratulations—you’re also an ISP!
$7 Million Gone, $1 Million for “Free” Installations
Broadband Manager Stephanie Beckens likes to brag about “free installation” for new customers.
What she doesn’t tell you is that this “free” installation costs taxpayers $1 million.
So, let’s do some actual math—not the kind the city uses when talking to the newspaper.
📌 $7 million already spent plus at least $750,000 year.
📌 $1 million for free installation.
📌 $50 million total minimum cost of this government ISP experiment (but they never asked you to vote on it).
And what happens when they run out of money?
They’ll take out a bond.
Translation: They’ll borrow more taxpayer money to keep Jim and Tylors Bankrupt-Superior afloat.
“It would be taking out bonding that the city would have to incur the weight of that bonding, at least in the interim.”
The Take-Rate Fantasy: Another False Promise
For this project to break even, at least 30% of residents need to sign up immediately, with 60% adoption over time.
The problem?
🚨 Most people already have internet and won’t switch.
🚨 Charter and BrightSpeed can just lower prices and kill this off.
🚨 The city itself admits this is a “test.”
If they don’t hit those numbers, what’s the plan?
🔴 More debt.
🔴 More spending.
🔴 More taxes.
Because in Jim Paine’s world, when the numbers don’t add up, you just keep spending.
Final Thought: A $50 Million Lie, A Mayor & Councilor Elm Each With No Shame, And A Tax Bill You Won’t Avoid
Let’s be clear:
📢 They have already spent $7 million.
📢 The city did NOT hold a referendum. They let 500 people vote in an online poll.
📢 The city did NOT secure grants. They are gambling with YOUR money.
And just like your skyrocketing tax bill, you’re paying for this—whether you like it or not.
**Additional Expenses from before 2022 will be added.**
“It’s a big project, but I can’t say we haven’t done the best that we could,”
City Councilor Tylor Elm