| reply to JTRockville
Re: Verizon Goes to Court to bring FIOS TV to Mont County MD said by JTRockville:It just doesn't seem that out of the ordinary. I listened to some of the testimony given before the senate commerce committee last year, and there were tons of things communities tried to negotiate for that weren't allowable under existing federal law. It seems to me that Verizon tried to pick this fight (at the expense of our community) rather than negotiate in good faith. Of course, the county executive played games too, but I don't see it as a one-sided event. Most of the improprieties and improper requests are made in negotiations and thus are not amenable to court intervention.
MoCo has the among the most onerous laws, rules and regulations, ON THE BOOKS, of any locality in the country. Many localities do not have ANY LAWS regarding CATV franchises. Verizon sought Summary Judgment on these issues, seeking to have some of MoCo's laws thrown out as contrary to federal law. Given the number of potential subscribers in MoCo, it is not surprising that Verizon challenged the laws. MoCo exceeded an OBJECTIVE threshold that I doubt few other localities ever will. |
 JTRockvilleData HoPremium,MVM
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD
 ·Verizon FiOS
| reply to JohnA
I wouldn't say any of these new taxes would ultimately get passed on to me. In the case of the franchise fee, they directly get passed on to subscribers (which could be me, or not). I don't see how it becomes part of doing business for anyone, particularly Verizon.
County revenue is going to come from somewhere. We don't get great schools, great libraries, great parks, great police, etc etc etc for free. So I don't mind one bit if those who use the infrastructure pay more via county fees.
• I don't mind paying for what I use.
• I like not having to pay for what I don't use.
• I don't see what business it is of Verizon's to either object or approve of what the county takes out of my pocket, or what they use it for.
So frankly, I couldn't care less who won that argument. And I'm having trouble seeing how Verizon could consider the issue to be so important as to be worth delaying deployment over it. |
