Re: Imagine, if you will... in http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r15777302 en Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:41:03 EDT Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:41:03 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15779126 rachelsfx : Instead of griping on BBR, why not write your Senator or Congressman? Also, write the FCC. Deluge your ISPs CEO with letters threatening to cancel if they go this route.

That'll work if enough people do it.

Also, always send a letter NOT an email. Or, instead of spending hours on here bitching, print up a petition and go door-to-door getting signatures. Then, mail them in.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15779126 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 17:58:56 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15779064 packetscan : And your defending this. UGH...

This is money that could be spent to lower costs and increase service..

Instead they give it away to the congress people and senators, for their (*Campaigns*(wink)).

These types of Kick backs should be illegal. Don't fool yourself people.. US Telcom spends 16m and expects nothing in return? Think again.

WE NEED REFORM.
--
Who do you want to pay off today?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15779064 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 17:51:57 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778912 batageek : And when you do decide you want to do it, here's the crap you'll run into.

»www.tricitybroadband.com/mailers.htm
--
»www.tricitybroadband.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778912 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 17:34:03 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778659 bbenso1 :
said by G_Poobah See Profile :

Again, why should I cancel? I can go before my local cable board, and get comcast in trouble.
What are you gonna get them in trouble for? Providing you a best-effort internet connection, that is clearly labeled best-effort in the contract you signed, for a price that the market is obviously willing to bear since people are buying it?

said by G_Poobah See Profile :

It's in MY best interest to have comcast provide me a TCP/IP connection at a the best speed possible, for the lowest price possible. It's in comcasts best interest to provide me the slowest speed possible, at the highest price possible.
Actually, it's in YOUR best interest to have ANYONE (not just comcast) provide you a TCP/IP connection at the best speed possible for the lowest price possible. If comcast isn't providing that, then you should get it somewhere else. Is it comcast's fault that you moved somewhere without a southern exposure, preventing you from getting satellite? Is it comcast's fault that you moved somewhere with too many trees to get wireless internet? Is it comcast's fault that you refuse to get a landline which would allow you to use dial-up?

said by G_Poobah See Profile :

Read this great article, and you'll understand. It applies perfectly to this situation. To summarize:

"I know, people always respond to these articles by saying this is simply capitalism at work -- companies trying to make the most money for their bottom line and their shareholders. Phooey. This is a monopolistic situation, where a captive consumer has no choice but to buy one product from one company. There is no free market in operation here. That's not capitalism."

»redtape.msnbc.com/2006/03/the_hi···t_o.html
Except that article doesn't apply to this situation. You are not a captive consumer and you do have choices, you just don't like them. You could cut down some of those trees (assuming they're on your property) so that wireless is an option. You could move somewhere that has DSL access. You could get a landline and use dial-up. You could get a T-1 to your house. Hell, you could get a T-1 and start up your own ISP in the area to compete with comcast. I'd be willing to bet that would get them to drop their rates. The big downside to every one of these options is this: You don't want to do it.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778659 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:56:41 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778237 cmaenginsb : Xure, actually the number of people who successfully started with option #1 and still do it. There is nothing preventing this from happening anywhere in the US as long as it doesn't involve the government at any level.
--
CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778237 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:56:30 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778144 G_Poobah : Again, why should I cancel? I can go before my local cable board, and get comcast in trouble.

It's not in MY best interest to cancel. It's in MY best interest to have comcast provide me a TCP/IP connection at a the best speed possible, for the lowest price possible. It's in comcasts best interest to provide me the slowest speed possible, at the highest price possible.

Read this great article, and you'll understand. It applies perfectly to this situation. To summarize:

"I know, people always respond to these articles by saying this is simply capitalism at work -- companies trying to make the most money for their bottom line and their shareholders. Phooey. This is a monopolistic situation, where a captive consumer has no choice but to buy one product from one company. There is no free market in operation here. That's not capitalism."

»redtape.msnbc.com/2006/03/the_hi···t_o.html
--
Flabby? pastey-skinned? riddled with phlebitis? Then you've got a good Republican body! So compare your lives to mine, and then kill yourself.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778144 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:42:10 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778040 bbenso1 :
said by G_Poobah See Profile :

Why should I CANCEL? They are the ones who are not living up to their end of the bargain.
You should CANCEL because you are paying them for a service and you deem the price they're charging for that service to be too high. If the price is too high, don't buy it. If you absolutely MUST have the product, then no price is too high.

I know you say that dial-up isn't an option because you don't have a landline, but I'd bet my year's earnings that you COULD have a landline if you wanted one. So, if you're that upset with Comcast over the service you get from them then cancel it, get a landline installed and buy a modem. Problem solved. You've got internet and you don't have to pay Comcast a dime for the service you don't think is worth what they charge.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15778040 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:27:49 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777992 pnh102 :
said by Minister See Profile :

I've also never liked "Move" as a solution to a broadband gap.
It goes without saying that if someone chooses to live in the sticks he/she will have to learn to do without certain conveniences. It's like listening to people who move to the country to "get away from it all" but then whine that they have to drive 20 miles to get groceries or that the nearest gas station is far away.

Some places have competition, some don't. If the only ISP which serves your area decides to play the QoS game, the only logical thing you can do is to reward them accordingly by not patronizing them.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777992 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:21:43 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777939 pnh102 :
said by kamm See Profile :

said by pnh102 See Profile :

said by Xure See Profile :

Yeah... I remember a few news items where people tried #1...
If someone tried using my tax money to build their network I would sue them too.
So you're literally saying your earlier posts are full of BS. Nice, at least now you're admitting it too... :)
Where did I mention any taxpayer-provided broadband solution?
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777939 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:15:37 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777799 kamm :
said by pnh102 See Profile :

said by Xure See Profile :

Yeah... I remember a few news items where people tried #1...
If someone tried using my tax money to build their network I would sue them too.
So you're literally saying your earlier posts are full of BS. Nice, at least now you're admitting it too... :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777799 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:56:15 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777795 scrummie02 : what bargain...where is it printed they are obliged to give us all of these things.

Listen...I am just as mad as the next guy about the telcos/cable companies lack of customer service, overselling of nodes and price jacking...the fact is broadband isn't a utility and they companies are obligated to give us anything. So technically it can't really be a monopoly since there is competition. Telcos were broken up by the government because telephone service is considered a utility and is essential. Broadband does not offer anything essential like 911 service. If you must absolutely have broadband then find a way to get it through leasing a T-1 or just use dial-up. If you feel broadband should be a utility at the tax payers expense and should be more heavily regulated by the government then vote in politicians with these platforms. If none in your existing area share your views, write to them or help start a grassroots program to help encourage municipal broadband growth.

I am certainly no corporate apologist, but these companies don't owe us anything by way of broadband. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777795 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:55:41 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777727 Karl Bode :
quote:
In this case, stating that Telecom firms spent 152 million lobbying in the first half of 2005 was clearly not right


The exact sentence:

"Telecom & technology firms spent $152 million in the first half of 2005 alone to lobby Congress as they were preparing the rewrite."

That sentence remains accurate. Users can RTFA to see this is all lobbying expenditures for all issues, and the exact breakdown. I'm not trying to hoodwink anybody. How much of that was dedicated toward the telecom Act re-write or preventing guidelines prohibiting traffic prioritization? Neither of us have those numbers. Lets assume plenty, unless we're naive.

quote:
and the implication of the summary text was that telephone companies and their lobbyists spent the entire amount.
"Telecom & Technology firms" was a tag-line pulled from the article these figures came from. "Telecom" includes cable, in their discourse. "Telecom Act rewrite" includes cable. Should that be "Communications & technology"? Probably. But it's not some evil anti-Rboc cabal.

Compare "Telecom & Technology" expenditures to what major content providers spent on lobbying, with plenty at stake including Chinese trade and net-neutrality:
quote:
Yahoo spent $800,000, followed by Amazon.com ($460,000) and eBay ($400,000). Google had $220,000 in lobbying expenses for all of 2005
Is it somehow green pond-fairy magic Congress isn't imposing net-neutrality guidelines then?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777727 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:45:03 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777706 pnh102 :
said by JakCrow See Profile :

People say "move" like it's a complete non-issue to do so. What a straw man.
And you're reading it out of context. I said that if broadband is so critical to your day to day existence that you would absolutely cease to function if you did not have it, that you should take it into consideration when you move.

Starting your own broadband venture is about as easy as moving. If you want it that bad, you'll do either one. If you want to sit on your butt and hope that an ISP will eventually serve you, then you need to realize that it might not happen and there won't be a thing you can do about it.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777706 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:41:49 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777701 G_Poobah : As usual, you fail to list ANY strategy that benefits the customer, your only worldview encompases that of the megacorps.

Why should I CANCEL? They are the ones who are not living up to their end of the bargain. We gave them a MONOPOLY when they first came here, to wire up the town. It's a two-way street, they still have access to the poles, and wires, and if they want to provide a service to my town, then they have to live under MY rules. And these aren't socialist commie rules, these are rules that benefit ME, the customer. Rules like response time, which we already have. Rules like Local Cable Access Channels, which we already have. And new rules, Like net neutrality, which we WILL have.

So, to summarize, I choose option 3, use politics to force the cable providers to provide what I pay for! If they want to sell it ANYWHERE in this country, then they sell it under our rules, not the other way around. I live in a democracy. I can go to my town cable board, and get it changed! It's not that hard to do!

For those who say it's socialism, I laugh. Maybe it is, but look at all the countries who have surged past us in broadband penetration, speeds, and prices. It happens BECAUSE their governments set standards, and required corporations to live to those standards.
--
Flabby? pastey-skinned? riddled with phlebitis? Then you've got a good Republican body! So compare your lives to mine, and then kill yourself.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777701 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:40:49 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777635 RadioDoc : I didn't say it was.

I merely stated that the point of incendiary headlines is to appeal to those who do not bother to read the entire article before they express their opinion about it (or ever for that matter).

In this case, stating that Telecom firms spent 152 million lobbying in the first half of 2005 was clearly not right (unless you lump Microsoft and Motorola and a manufacturing trade group, among others, in there) and the implication of the summary text was that telephone companies and their lobbyists spent the entire amount.

If it was a mistake, then you may want to slow down and proofread a little bit better, because

National Association of Manufacturers, $8.3 million
National Association of Broadcasters, $7.8 million
Motorola, $7.6 million
IBM, $7.2 million
National Cable and Telecommunications Association, $7.4 million
Comcast and Time Warner, which each spent about $4 million.

alone add up to far more than the telcos spent. Hell, the cable companies and their trade group listed alone coughed up $15.4 million.

U.S. Telecom Association,$16.8 million
Bellsouth, $7 million

And before you point the shill finger at me again, I promised Justin that I would use facts and unemotional logic in responses here, and I expect you do the same.

The Telecom Act rewrite is much bigger than the net neutrality "issue", and the lobbying money spent covers a vast array of issues, the Internet being one small part.

So please quit trying to imply that all the money is being spent to defeat a pet cause.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777635 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:31:19 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777515 JakCrow : People say "move" like it's a complete non-issue to do so. What a straw man.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777515 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:14:01 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777399 Karl Bode : Well what?

"Net Neutrality Advocates Losing DC Battle" isn't an "incendiary headline" because net-neutrality provisions have been yanked after those who benefit out-spent those who don't.

The original line:

"Telecom firms spent $152 million in the first half of 2005 alone to lobby Congress as they were preparing the rewrite."

was a mistake and was corrected to read:

"Telecom & technology firms spent $152 million in the first half of 2005 alone to lobby Congress as they were preparing the rewrite."

It wasn't an intentional misrepresentation of anything.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777399 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:58:29 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777347 RadioDoc : Well?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777347 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:53:25 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777337 Karl Bode : Sigh....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777337 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:52:12 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777302 pnh102 :
said by Xure See Profile :

Yeah... I remember a few news items where people tried #1...
If someone tried using my tax money to build their network I would sue them too. But there are locations where competing cable companies and phone companies have set up shop using their own money without interference from the incumbents.
said by Xure See Profile :

As for #2. Maybe we all should move to Virginia, where the lobbied ones live. Ahh to be the lobbied one. No better way to show off broadband that a small, niche market of DC so they can claim how good BB in USA is.
Well, if you absolutely cannot possibly live without broadband, then whose fault is it if you don't ensure that its available at your location before you move?
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777302 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:48:22 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777287 Minister : I agree.

I've also never liked "Move" as a solution to a broadband gap. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777287 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:47:06 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777237 Xure :
said by pnh102 See Profile :

said by G_Poobah See Profile :

And, umm, please tell me WHERE I can find another ISP? See, I don't have a choice.
You can CANCEL.

And besides, this is America, you always have choices. If broadband Internet is that important to you, you can:

    •Convince your neighbors to create a non-profit venture which can share the cost of a T1 or other such "high end" access.
    •Move to someplace with more choices.

The bottom line is if your ISP does this and you continue to pay them for service, then what incentive do they have to change their ways? Not patronizing their service is the only way you will get any business' attention.
Yeah... I remember a few news items where people tried #1...

Hmmm I wonder what happened? Ohh, I remember, they got sued and dragged through the courts until they could not afford it any more and also they lobbied again and again untill laws were passed to prohibit your proposal under #1 there.

As for #2. Maybe we all should move to Virginia, where the lobbied ones live. Ahh to be the lobbied one. No better way to show off broadband that a small, niche market of DC so they can claim how good BB in USA is.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777237 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:42:25 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777233 RadioDoc :
said by JSRoman See Profile :

This statement is not accurate and is just being repeated by those who didn't bother to read the article.
Ah, but that's the point of incendiary headlines, isn't it?
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777233 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:41:28 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777221 RadioDoc : His analogy is similar to boasting that you don't have a car but then complaining that the bus doesn't run by your house. Doesn't pass the sniff test.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777221 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:40:28 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777039 pnh102 :
said by G_Poobah See Profile :

And, umm, please tell me WHERE I can find another ISP? See, I don't have a choice.
You can CANCEL.

If my ISP in any way shape or form blocked access to my favorite websites, then why would I continue to pay them for something I cannot use? My money is valuable, I worked very hard to earn it. I expect that the things on which I spend that money work equally as hard. That includes not wasting said money on things that I cannot use, including a selected-site network connection.

And besides, this is America, you always have choices. If broadband Internet is that important to you, you can:

    •Convince your neighbors to create a non-profit venture which can share the cost of a T1 or other such "high end" access.
    •Move to someplace with more choices.

The bottom line is if your ISP does this and you continue to pay them for service, then what incentive do they have to change their ways? Not patronizing their service is the only way you will get any business' attention.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15777039 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:16:19 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776549 GhostFreeman : "And, umm, please tell me WHERE I can find another ISP? See, I don't have a choice."

It's not a matter of choice, it's about making the public aware of the benefits of net neutrality. If people catch wind of what the Baby Bells wanted to pull and how devastating it would be to their public image, do you think they would go through with it?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776549 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:01:31 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776526 JSRoman :
said by G_Poobah See Profile :

And, umm, please tell me WHERE I can find another ISP? See, I don't have a choice. I have comcrap, because that's my only choice. I don't have line of sight, so I can't get satellite. I don't have a land line, so no modem. Too far from CO for DSL, no FIOS or other technologies in the area. Can't do wireless, too many trees around. My ONLY choice is cable.

Where exactly is this place that doesn't even have the option of a landline? Your argument is emotional not factual. I believe everywhere in the continental United State landline service is available.

I understand the point your trying to make but the market is open to those with the capital to enter it. No one is stopping Mr. Entrepreneur from taking the steps to provide a better service. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776526 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:56:46 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776455 Karl Bode : I've fleshed it out in the summary for the RTFA brigades.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776455 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:46:37 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776416 G_Poobah : "instead of seeing the Google page, they see a message saying that BS wants to restrict their access to Google, and that they should switch ISPs."

And, umm, please tell me WHERE I can find another ISP? See, I don't have a choice. I have comcrap, because that's my only choice. I don't have line of sight, so I can't get satellite. I don't have a land line, so no modem. Too far from CO for DSL, no FIOS or other technologies in the area. Can't do wireless, too many trees around. My ONLY choice is cable.

I'm a 'captive consumer'. I get screwed because, well bluntly, I get screwed because THEY CAN. That's their nature (the megacorps). They work very hard to make sure they are the only provider, then they keep jacking up the rates, putting in new tolls, new rules, and use their monopoly status and big purses to purchase the FCC and ensure there is no competition, like muni's.
--
Flabby? pastey-skinned? riddled with phlebitis? Then you've got a good Republican body! So compare your lives to mine, and then kill yourself.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776416 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:41:43 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776382 JSRoman :
said by RadioDoc See Profile :

Yeah, but by misrepresenting the number as 10 times larger it makes those nasty telco folks sound so much more evil. Like they need help in that regard.
I don't think it was intentional but someone please fix.

"Telecom firms spent $152 million in the first half of 2005 alone to lobby Congress as they were preparing the rewrite...."

This statement is not accurate and is just being repeated by those who didn't bother to read the article. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776382 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:36:14 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776214 RadioDoc : Yeah, but by misrepresenting the number as 10 times larger it makes those nasty telco folks sound so much more evil. Like they need help in that regard.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776214 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:09:55 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776194 JSRoman : "Companies and associations in the communications and technology sectors spent $152.4 million on federal lobbying during the first half of 2005, according to new information compiled by PoliticalMoneyLine.. "

That number is total by all communications and tech companies not just Rbocs.

"The biggest communications spender for all of 2005 was the U.S. Telecom Association, whose members include the former regional Bell operating companies. That group devoted $16.8 million to Washington lobbying. Microsoft ranked second ($8.7 million), and the National Association of Manufacturers was third ($8.3 million). Other heavy hitters in 2005 were: National Association of Broadcasters, $7.8 million; Motorola, $7.6 million; BellSouth, $7.4 million; IBM, $7.2 million; Cingular Wireless, $7.1 million; National Cable and Telecommunications Association, $7 million; and Comcast and Time Warner, which each spent about $4 million."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776194 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:06:51 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776193 pnh102 :
said by garagerock See Profile :

I guess it's cheaper in these United States to lobby to kill your competitor than actually compete against them.
The only thing left for content providers to do now is to preemptively block access to customers who use ISPs which engage in this practice. You know, someone from a BS line goes to Google but instead of seeing the Google page, they see a message saying that BS wants to restrict their access to Google, and that they should switch ISPs.

Such a move has to be swift and decisive so that other ISPs don't start to think that this is a good idea.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776193 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:06:45 EDT Re: Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776142 RadioDoc : 152 million is the executive lunch budget for the large telcos and cable MSOs. It means nothing in the larger scheme.

What I would like to see is both sides get out there and actually provide the service they advertise.

Cable wants telco's slice, telco wants cable's slice, and guess who is in the pie? Yup.

The FCC is where this should be decided, but that also requires rewiring the FCC. Now THAT would be a worthwhile Congressional project.
--
Toolmaster of La Grange.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776142 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:59:48 EDT Imagine, if you will... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776080 garagerock :
quote:
Telecom firms spent $152 million in the first half of 2005 alone to lobby Congress as they were preparing the rewrite


How many upgrades to their own infrastructure could have been completed with that kind of money? I guess it's cheaper in these United States to lobby to kill your competitor than actually compete against them. Jay Gould, Andrew Carneige, and J.P. Morgan would be so very proud of this new class of Robber Barons. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,15776080 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:49:21 EDT