Removing paperwork roadblocks was the goal of Thomas Dorr, United States Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Rural Development, as he addressed rural technology providers Wednesday at Pratt Community College.

Dorr and Congressman Jerry Moran were in Pratt and Greensburg to see the results of rural development and how to make getting broadband service more effective.

The USDA Rural Development program provides loans and grants for a variety of projects including building broadband and telephone infrastructure.

Dorr said he was here to find out what Rural Development could do to improve or work better to help integrate broadband into rural America.

He solicited problem areas from over 40 technology providers, hospital administrators and educators. He made notes, offered explanations and vowed would do all he could to help unblock problem areas.

He called on the providers to communicate with Rural Development about roadblocks in broadband development to make operations more efficient.

“We need for you in this business to provide guidance,” Dorr said. “We need guidance and help.” 

That guidance is needed because for a long time Rural Development didn’t know what people in rural America needed, Dorr said.

Now they pump from $16 billion to $18 billion a year into rural with two goals: increase economic opportunities and improve live in rural America. 

Access to broadband will help rural America seize the greatest economic opportunities in a lifetime, Dorr said.

Since the fall of the iron curtain three billion smart, educated, clever people have joined in the world desire for information and energy and it’s going to continue. The demand for energy is increasing at five percent a year so for rural America to be part of that growth they will need broadband to live locally and compete globally, Dorr said.

Rural Development can build a community from the ground using their three programs: grants, direct loans and loan guarantees. There was also a delivery enhancement task force that evaluated three areas of risk associated with the loans: agency risk, institutional risk and project risk.

The rapid growth in technology will create new problems and the old institutional solutions are not keeping pace. Dorr said everyone needs “refreshers” to keep up.

Dorr was appointed by President Bush and will be leaving at the end of Bush’s term in office. He issued a challenge to his successor.

“It will be up to the next undersecretary to keep on the same path,” Dorr said.

Dorr wants to have assessments made of loan outcomes to find out if the loan accomplished what it was expected to do.

Moran, who hosted Dorr, told the group he wanted samples of regulations that didn’t make sense and he would make sure Dorr received the information. Moran said he would do everything he could to help hold down the cost of staying in business. Being able to compete with the rest of the U.S. is just as important as competing with the rest of the world.

“We have to be figure out how to compete with New Haven, Conn.,” Moran said.

There is too much bureaucracy in developing broadband. Eliminating paper work and improving service for businesses, health care and education are Dorr’s goals, Moran said.

Prior to their stop in Pratt, Moran and Dorr visited Greensburg to get a first hand look at progress and how funds were being utilized in the rebuilding of the city that was almost totally destroyed by an EF 5 tornado on May 4, 2007.

Greensburg has received $7.9 million in redevelopment funds from the USDA Rural Development program that is expected to send another $4 million in September.