Larry Lessig addressed the 2012 WiscNet Conference in Madison, talking about the importance of achieving the goals of the Founders of the United States in creating a system where those making the rules were independent of corrupting influences.
About 45 minutes long, and well worth watching in entirety — especially if you have not seen a version of this excellent presentation elsewhere.
You can get involved at Lessig’s RootStrikers.org. This is a key issue for community broadband because few corporations have as much power to corrupt the political system as the cable and DSL companies that want to revoke local authority of communities to build their own networks.