<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> Two issues with this :<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1> <li class=MsoNormal style='color:navy;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>The current FCC is very, very, VERY corporate friendly.  As soon as Martin came into play, the FCC has been going out of their way to give the Telcos exactly what they want.  Hell, he didn’t listen to an AP poll that suggested less than 30% of Americans supported him in his decisions in the 30 days of office (<a href="http://www.broadbandreports.com/">www.broadbandreports.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></li> <li class=MsoNormal style='color:navy;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>The ‘old’ FCC consisted of 2 conservatories, 2 liberals, and 1 moderate.  The moderate left this summer, and was recently replaced by another conservative.  The conservatives have been very corporate happy, and recommended that the merger go through without any conditions.  Oh, did I mention that this new member of the commissioner group was a former Telecom PR / Lobbyist???<o:p></o:p></li> </ol> <o:p> </o:p> The merger will be approved; rubber-stamp style.  The only thing that may trip it up is already in play.  As I noted, the newest FCC commissioner was a telecom lobbyist in his last position.  He has bowed out of this vote because of ethics issues.  This leaves a 2-2 possible vote.  A 2-2 tie means that the merger will have to wait until the next publishing term, in January.  Because this may “get caught up in all that post-election mess” (Ed Whitacre).  Not enough time to buy the vote perhaps?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What does this mean for net-neutrality?   Nothing right now.  If congress writes a law, I’m sure they’ll botch it.   If the FCC says something, I’m sure they will spin it to favor only certain companies.  If “the new” AT&T implements it, they will loose customer…<o:p></o:p>             …but only loose customers that have another choice.  Until another administration comes in and de-fangs the current FCC (or rather, puts some fangs into the FCC), nothing will change.  We can begin our rant of 2-more-years!  2-more-years!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> -Nick Kwiatkowski<o:p></o:p> “The Phone Guy”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: linux-user-bounces@egr.msu.edu [mailto:linux-user-bounces@egr.msu.edu] On Behalf Of Caleb Cushing Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 7:33 AM To: Linux User; Metro Detroit Linux Users Group Subject: [GLLUG] Fwd: Don't Let Ma <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bell</st1:place></st1:City> Monopolize the Internet<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> some of you may have already seen this and I hope no one considers this spam as I am not trying to propogate spam. I hope you'll all consider sending a message to stop "Ma Bell reborn" and to help preserve net neutrality. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ben Scott, <a href="http://Freepress.net">Freepress.net</a> <<a href="mailto:list@freepress.net">list@freepress.net </a>> Date: Oct 11, 2006 3:05 PM Subject: Don't Let Ma <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bell</st1:place></st1:City> Monopolize the Internet To: Caleb Cushing <<a href="mailto:xenoterracide@gmail.com">xenoterracide@gmail.com</a>><o:p></o:p> <div marginwidth=10 marginheight=10> <div align=center> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:6.25in'> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank"><img border=0 width=600 height=65 id="_x0000_i1025" src="%20" alt="free press action alert"></a><o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width=600 bgcolor=white style='width:6.25in;border:solid #333366 1.0pt; border-top:none;background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y: 50%'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=598 style='width:448.5pt'> <tr> <td style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'> Dear Caleb,<o:p></o:p> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=right width=225 style='width:168.75pt;margin-left:3.75pt;margin-bottom: 1.5pt'> <tr> <td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" style='background:#EEEEEE;padding:4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll; background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh8tJvbM1Ag" target="_blank"><img border=0 width=160 height=194 id="_x0000_i1026" src="%20" alt="Richard P. Merryweather"></a><o:p></o:p> Watch Our Exclusive Interview with the Merger's 'Mastermind': Richard P. Merryweather<o:p></o:p> Part I: '<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1per3Xn1LqVL/" target="_blank">Merger and Me</a>' Part II: '<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/17er3Xn1LqVS/" target="_blank">Money Well Spent</a>'<o:p></o:p> <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank">Take Action Now</a><o:p></o:p> </td> </tr> </table> The Justice Department today rubber stamped the $78 billion merger of AT&T and BellSouth -- deserting its post as the public's shield against corporate monopolies. <o:p></o:p> The merger now goes to the Federal Communications Commission for final approval. The deal would effectively resurrect the Ma Bell monopoly that ruled our nation's communications industry for nearly a century. <o:p></o:p> The only ones standing in the path of a new AT&T monopoly are citizens like you. Tell the FCC: <o:p></o:p> <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank">Don't Let Ma Bell Monopolize the Internet</a> <o:p></o:p> The merger of AT&T and BellSouth would create a network behemoth that controls nearly half of all telephone land lines in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. But the new AT&T presents a far greater threat. <o:p></o:p> Under the rule of CEO Ed Whitacre, the company is leading the effort to gut Net Neutrality -- the longstanding principle that prevents phone companies from controlling what you do, where you go and what you see on the Internet. <o:p></o:p> Soon all digital media -- telephone, TV, radio and the Web -- will enter homes via a single broadband connection. Whitacre is trying to control this "pipe" -- and the billions of dollars at stake -- by erecting new Internet toll booths and discriminating against Web sites that can't afford their new fees. <o:p></o:p> If the FCC doesn't place any conditions on the mega-merger, nothing would prevent the new AT&T from taking away the free and open Internet that has fostered unprecedented economic innovation and democratic participation. <o:p></o:p> The good news is that we have some allies at the FCC. Two of the four commissioners who will vote on the merger have indicated that they will support Net Neutrality conditions as part of any merger. But they need strong public support to prevail. <o:p></o:p> <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank">Tell the FCC: No AT&T Merger without Net Neutrality</a> <o:p></o:p> Before the FCC rules, it needs to hear from you. Please forward this e-mail to everyone you know. <o:p></o:p> Onward, <o:p></o:p> Ben Scott Policy Director Free Press <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/11er3Xn1LqVa/" target="_blank">www.freepress.net</a> <o:p></o:p> P.S. For more information on the AT&T-BellSouth merger, please visit: <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1der3Xn1LqVz/" target="_blank">www.freepress.net/att</a> <o:p></o:p> P.P.S. For another take on the deal, watch our exclusive YouTube interview with Richard P. Merryweather, president and CEO of CT&T Com: <o:p></o:p> Part I: "<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1per3Xn1LqVL/" target="_blank">The Merger and Me</a>" Part II: "<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/17er3Xn1LqVS/" target="_blank">Money Well Spent</a>" <o:p></o:p> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" noshade color="#aaaaaa" align=center> </div> Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. <a href="http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join-forward.html?domain=freepress&r=kder3Xn1HjNy&" target="_blank"><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="_x0000_i1028" src="%20"> Tell-a-friend!</a> <o:p></o:p> If you received this message from a friend, you can <a href="http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join.html?r=kder3Xn1HjNyE&" target="_blank">sign up for Free Press </a>.<o:p></o:p> This message was sent to <a href="mailto:xenoterracide@gmail.com" target="_blank">xenoterracide@gmail.com</a>. 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