Oh, You Mean The Lobbyists Don't Get To Write All The Laws?

from the shocker! dept

Thu, Mar 24th 2005 12:30pm — Mike Masnick

There have been a number of reports about how lobbyists are more or less writing the anti-muni broadband laws for many different states. However, when the politicians actually decide to write the laws themselves, the lobbyists freak out. Apparently, a Verizon lobbyist in West Virginia stormed out of a Senate meeting furiously after he discovered that pro-muni legislation was being introduced that wasn't first reviewed (and rewritten) by telco lobbyists. What will those crazy politicians think of next?

2 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

TJ, 24 Mar 2005 @ 12:58pm

I am getting tired of these virtual and real monop
This reminds me of reading about the "Train Barons" of the last century, like Rockefeller. He and his peers ploughed through the heartland and the interests of the country to their own enrichment.

The West Virginia legislator made a great comparison of having cheap broadband bring economic success to ALL of the region, not just the Telco and Cable Robber Barons. He noted that such programs are what moved Ireland to such a successful position in the past 10 years, and I am very envious when my friends in Europe and Japan cite costs that are 1/4 or less than what I pay COmcast (and are provided by competition, not govenment.) But I am doubtful that the US public is smart enough to care, let alone call their representatives to serve their interests in this matter.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 25 Mar 2005 @ 10:02pm

Re: I am getting tired of these virtual and real m
That'll preach, brother TJ!
[ link to this | view in thread ]