FCC May Be Settled Soon Conservative replacements all but settled... Julius Genachowski, Obama's pick to head up the FCC, has yet to see Congressional approval in part because Conservative lawmakers had yet to pick replacements for departing Republican Commissioners. According to the Wall Street Journal, those picks now appear all but set -- with Republicans adding former Commerce Department official Meredith Attwell Baker, and keeping current Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell on staff. If correct, the news could mean that Genachowski and Baker see their confirmation hearings in June, and the full Commission can finally get to work on crafting their promised national broadband policy plan.
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  ThrowDemsOutIf you can't convince 'em, confuse 'emPremium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4
3 edits |  Some info on Baker
»www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/ntiage···ker.html
Before joining NTIA, Ms. Baker was Vice President at the firm of Williams Mullen Strategies where she focused on telecommunications, intellectual property, and international trade issues. Earlier, she held the position as Senior Counsel to Covad Communications from 2000 to 2002, and Director of Congressional Affairs at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) from 1998 to 2000. Ms. Baker worked at the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit in Houston and later at the law firm of DeLange and Hudspeth, L.L.P. From 1990 to 1992, she worked in the Legislative Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of State in Washington. 
»twitter.com/Karl_Bode/status/1965319071
Let me wildly guess at her policy positions... --
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
|  |  MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | Re: Some info on Baker Not too bad. She doesn't seem to have any obvious ties to big business and her credentials convey she may be technically literate. | |
| | | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Re: Some info on Baker said by Matt:Not too bad. She doesn't seem to have any obvious ties to big business and her credentials convey she may be technically literate. well, lets see:
the firm she worked for, Williams Mullen, is
Among other things, it is notable for having acquired the storied Janus-Merritt Strategies, the lobbying firm of Grover Norquist and David Safavian, in 2002. I think David Safavian is now in jail or under indictment for illegal activities related to lobbying.
In addition, this link
»www.corporatecrimereporter.com/w···2807.htm
appears to show the firm likes them some astro turfing.
Of course, that's not to say Ms Baker has any such proclivities, but it appears the firm she works for is for isn't exactly working in the public interest. Then again, she is a republican selection, so I guess it goes without saying that the welfare of the consumer won't be high on her list. | |
| | | | | | Re: Some info on Baker I don't think we should have right-wing loonies with ties to telcos running telecom policy anyways; conflict of interest much? And Grover Norquist and his cronies scare the living Hell out of me. | |
| | | | MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12
1 edit | So she is guilty by association because her firm acquired a firm of which a former owner was indicted? Is this the "6 Degrees of Guilt by Association Game" or something? This guilt by association crap is tiring. | |
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·Verizon FiOS
| Re: Some info on Baker I didn't say she was guilty of anything. I just pointed out the firm at which she is Vice President doesn't seem to have pro-consumer leanings and appears to do a lot of their business with the industries the FCC regulates.
I'm sure Ms Baker is itching to get on the commission and immediately start doing good for the consumer!  | |
| | | | | | MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | Re: Some info on Baker said by nasadude:I didn't say she was guilty of anything. I just pointed out the firm at which she is Vice President doesn't seem to have pro-consumer leanings and appears to do a lot of their business with the industries the FCC regulates. I think you'll find that is true of anyone appointed. We don't want another Michael Brown now do we? | |
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 ·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Some info on Baker said by Matt:said by nasadude:I didn't say she was guilty of anything. I just pointed out the firm at which she is Vice President doesn't seem to have pro-consumer leanings and appears to do a lot of their business with the industries the FCC regulates. I think you'll find that is true of anyone appointed. We don't want another Michael Brown now do we? Sure We do, NOT! | |
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| | | | | WhatNowPremium
join:2009-05-06
Charlotte, NC | Was she not at COVAD when Verizon and other firms sued Covad for filing false trouble tickets and then demanding penalties for missed performance.
»www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c···1053.DTL
It was thought they made money doing this then providing service. | |
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| | In this case, the Republicans are right. The FCC should be an expert agency with little regard for politics. Unfortunately, it has -- at least recently -- been driven by politics, in particular partisan politics. Because of this, the appointments all should be made at the same time so that no party enjoys more than a one vote advantage. Otherwise, we'll see a partisan agenda at the FCC. And it'd be really scary if the FCC went berserk on regulating the Internet, as it tried to do when it illegally sanctioned Comcast for maintaining its quality of service. | |
| |  KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T DSL Service
| Re: In this case, the Republicans are right. said by SuperWISP:And it'd be really scary if the FCC went berserk on regulating the Internet, as it tried to do when it illegally sanctioned Comcast for maintaining its quality of service. And it would be really surprising if the FCC followed it's mandate and prevented abuses by ISP's on Internet access by punishing Comcast for illegally jamming and blocking and disrupting the user's connections.
There. Fixed it for you. Quality of service my butt.
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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| | | | | | | | Re: In this case, the Republicans are right. Comcast was reining in bandwidth hogs -- in accordance with the subscriber agreements that they agreed to! -- so as to prevent them from harming others' quality of service. It was managing its network responsibly. | |
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| | | "maintaining its quality of service"? Are you nuts?
How do you live your life day after day ignoring the realities presented on this website and others about the advanced state of broadband in other countries versus the backwards state of broadband in the US? It just amazes me you can so completely blind yourselff. | |
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3 edits | Providing good Internet is my life's work and mission Your attitude above demonstrates the extent to which the biased and misleading articles that appear on this site can affect people's perceptions.
Unlike most people, I am out there actually building out the Internet, day by day -- bringing it to people who need it. I have hands on experience with the realities of this business every day.
Unfortunately, the writing (one could not call it reporting, because it does not even come close to meeting standards of professional journalism or ethics) on this Web site is very unbalanced and is biased against ISPs. What's more, none of the writers has any actual experience as a provider of broadband. They like to pontificate, but I dare any one of them to walk a mile in my moccasins. Any of them is welcome, at any time, to come out with me for a day installing Internet service. I defy any of them to do this and continue to characterize ISPs as evil, greedy, or censorious. | |
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