Why Does Rep. Marsha Blackburn Want To Block You From Having Competitive Broadband?

from the speak-up-now dept

There were rumors yesterday of a few ridiculous and extreme attempts by some in Congress to attach some anti-net neutrality amendments to the big Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. And while the most ridiculous proposal failed to appear, instead, it does appear that Rep. Marsha Blackburn is pushing an amendment to block the FCC from preempting laws that ban municipal broadband. The big cable companies have fought municipal broadband for ages because they hate competition. Cable and telco lobbyists have succeeded in getting such laws passed in a number of cities and states, with some politicians directly admitting that the bills were written by those lobbyists. And while there have been some disasters in munibroadband efforts, there have also been some amazing successes, providing truly competitive broadband that also helped force competitors to up their game.

That's why we were happy to see FCC chair Tom Wheeler make it clear that he was willing to use the FCC's powers to preempt laws blocking competitive broadband. This would be a very good use of the FCC's power to encourage real competition and innovation. Blackburn's amendment is all about stopping that, and making sure that your broadband is as expensive as possible, with no real innovation or competition on the way. Blackburn, of course, is also the politician who constantly screams about how terrible it would be to "regulate the internet" when it comes to net neutrality, but seems to have no qualms at all "regulating the internet" when it comes to other things, like SOPA (she was one of its main supporters). She's also claimed that "fair use" and "transparency" are just buzz words and that we need much stricter intellectual property enforcement.

But when it comes to actually making sure you have a competitive broadband market? She's totally against that. You would think, given that she's from Tennessee, that she'd be aware of the massive success of muni fiber over in Chattanooga. It's not her district, but it's not too far away. Perhaps she should take a visit and see if the residents there would support her stomping out competition and fast broadband.

Blackburn's amendment is to be voted on today, so groups like EFF, Public Knowledge and Free Press are urging folks call Congress to oppose Blackburn's latest bad idea.
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Filed Under: appropriations, broadband, competition, fcc, fiber, innovation, internet, marsha blackburn, muni-broadband, net neutrality, regulations


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:12am

    I think anyone who tries to sneak something in like this should be fired immediately.
    There's no good reason to try and sneak a bill.
    If it doesn't have enough legs to stand on its own that it has to be snuck through, it's obviously a bad bill.

    Also, lobbyists have no business writing bills. Period.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Michael, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:14am

      Re:

      That would be everyone in the legislative branch of government.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:28am

        Re: Re:

        Well they're not doing their jobs then. Time to replace them.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 1:21pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          good luck getting me to vote my special bastard out of office... I like that he is fucking you but not me!

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 3:42pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            ...good luck getting me to vote my special bastard out of office...

            Because everybody running against them -- if there are any -- are even worse. Damn I wish "None of the above" would be a legal voting choice.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:30am

    This amendment is insane! What good is amendment that bans municipal broadband without complimenting it with a second amendment that forms a Benghazi investigation panel?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:03am

      Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jul 16th, 2014 @ 10:30am

      Wait, are you calling for an additional Benghazi panel or are you somehow trying to argue that the right to bear arms can be used during a Benghazi investigation?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Padpaw (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:35am

    Shame you Americans cannot just initiate proceedings against any senator found accepting bribes as blatantly as this. But then there goes 99% of the senate if that was followed through.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:35am

    At the heart of all these efforts to remove net-neutrality, and prevent broadband only competitors is the other business of cable companies. They are desperate to stop the Internet from decimating their cable TV subscriptions. Also, when viewed in this light, broadband caps make sense, as a way of preventing broadband providing all the viewing that their customers want.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:35am

    Help me understand

    This is what the PK site says:
    let them know that you want your Congressman to vote "NO" on the amendment to H.R. 5016 taking away FCC authority to reclassify broadband under Title II.

    What does it mean to have broadband classified under title II? What is title II?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:38am

      Re: Help me understand

      Title II is common carrier status. Phone companies are covered under this. Network traffic would be considered the same as phone traffic

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      MondoGordo (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:40am

      Re: Help me understand

      In short ... Title II of the telecommunications act covers the regulation of telecommunication services (like telephone) ... and the FCC has a lot of power under Title II to regulate providers. Internet service providers are currently classified as information services, not telecommunications providers, and are not subject to title II provisions.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    MondoGordo (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:35am

    probably has something to do with this

    As reported by ArsTechnica...
    Blackburn received $10,000 from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association this year and last year, according to OpenSecrets.org. She received $12,500 in contributions from Verizon, $10,000 from AT&T, $7,500 from Comcast, and $7,000 from representatives of Time Warner Cable. (These donations come from the companies' political action committees, employees, or owners.)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:31am

      Re: probably has something to do with this

      Rep. Blackburn was formerly the Tennessee State Film Commissioner.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      jupiterkansas (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 1:14pm

      Re: probably has something to do with this

      Yep, legislation comes pretty cheap.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    gorehound (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:49am

    Foul Tea Bagger Republican Witch Blackburn showing her love of big business and how she does not care if they screw you.And all her Voters will just eat u the kool aid from FAUX which will show that she is right by using false inforamtion.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      JEDIDIAH, 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:58am

      You get the tar, I will get the feathers.

      So...

      This is a so called Tea Bagger that is fighting for the modern day equivalent of the British East India company.

      Terribly ironic.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 10:55am

    I tried to speak to someone at Blackburn's office about how her position makes things worse for consumers and spent nearly 18 minutes trying to get off the phone.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:05am

    Corruption at it's finest. The whole passel in Washington that are eat up with this corruption need to go. Not just the Repubs, not just the Dems; all of them.

    Remove the money from politics and show them the voters are serious they get their house in order (congress as a whole) or they don't have a job. Hold each congress critter responsible by the laws already on the books, and this country would change in a matter of months as far as it's atmosphere goes.

    Till we the voters get serious, none of this will change.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:06am

    Another small government fake

    She's just another grandstanding phony trying to turn Net Neutrality into a partisan issue. The last time I checked, wanting a fast, uncensored Internet and good customer service weren't partisan.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:07am

    politicians love money

    Blackburn's past actions are perfect examples of having people in power that don't understand issues/technology, have major funding sources that tell them what to do (almost bribery but still legal in the US), and are disconnected from the real constituents they "represent".

    Politicians like Blackburn work for the people that scream the loudest and have the most money. Unfortunately the mechanism to keep representatives in line and doing their job (removal from office) is time and resource intensive enough that people don't generally kick someone out of office.

    What might be a good solution instead is to tie a politician's pension to a vote by their constituents at the end of their tenure. If the people feel the person did a good enough job then they keep their pension otherwise they get no pension.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    limbodog (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 11:34am

    Serious question

    How do we get these actions to stick to politicians? So that any time someone talks about them, people think "Oh yeah, the one that wants my cable bill to be twice the cost of my car payment".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    sorrykb (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 12:11pm

    Why Does Rep. Marsha Blackburn Want To Block You From Having Competitive Broadband?

    $.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 12:32pm

    You know would be significantly useful for these calls to action to include? Equally or more so than contact information for our representatives? What the number of the amendment we want them to vote no on is.

    H.R.5016 is the appropriations bill for FY2015:

    https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/5016

    It has a a number of proposed amendments, including several by Marsha Blackburn.

    I'm assuming the one talked about in this case is H.Amdt.1093 to H.R.5016:

    https://beta.congress.gov/amendment/113th-congress/house-amendment/1093

    It's much more clear, and straightforward to be able to call and tell them to "Vote NO on H.Amdt xxxx proposed by Rep. X, because..." than it is to tell them to vote NO on the amendment that..."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ogman, 16 Jul 2014 @ 12:52pm

    You believe Wheeler???

    I hope you don't actually believe anything that comes out of Wheeler's mouth. I know you haven't forgotten who this guy is and what he used to do, and probably still does do! Wheeler will promise the moon and then screw everybody like the cheap whore he is.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jul 2014 @ 1:23pm

    You want to know why?



    Top 20 Contributors, 2013-2014

    2) Curb Records - $10,400
    4) AT&T Inc - $10,000
    4) National Cable & Telecommunications Association - $10,000
    4) Verizon Communications - $10,000
    14) Koch Industries - $8,000
    14) Northrop Grumman - $8,000

    Top Industries, 2013-2014

    4) TV/Movies/Music - $64,650
    12) Telephone Utilities - $26,000
    18) Computers/Internet - $20,000
    18) Electric Utilities - $20,000

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    tommygilley (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 8:30pm

    US Broadband Speeds

    The US broadband speeds will never be in excess of what the Intelligence community can monitor through their systems. If the NSA had to build a west coast center because the amount of data was a burden for them to transmit across the continent at current speeds, imagine the amount of trouble they would have if everyone was at 1 gb speeds. The data would choke their systems, therefore 1 gb speeds are 1 off situations which consumers don't really want anyway.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    1st Dread Pirate Roberts (profile), 16 Jul 2014 @ 8:38pm

    It's called Bri (I mean) Campaign Contributions

    Used to be that if you accepted money, that was a bribe. Now it's been legalized.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Whatever (profile), 17 Jul 2014 @ 12:13am

    she'd be aware of the massive success of muni fiber over in Chattanooga.

    Of course, you know that plenty of muni fiber and internet setups have failed, including some pretty big mistakes made along the way.

    I know this source isn't all that good, but it's got some breadcrumbs to the real stories:

    http://www.theamericanconsumer.org/2012/04/the-costly-truth-of-municipal-broadband-networks/

    The other question is this: most municipalities have major issues just to keep their street lights on and the roads paved. Can you imagine them trying to run a network? They can't, they know it, and they turn around and try to sub it out to third party companies who generally seem to want to just take the money and run.

    If you want the most expensive, least effective internet possible, let the government run it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 17 Jul 2014 @ 3:13am

      Re:

      The other question is this: most municipalities have major issues just to keep their street lights on and the roads paved.

      Citation? That may be true for very small towns but from my visits to the US this is not true. A few problems in the roads and some lights out doesn't mean they are failing at it. Heck, even here in Brazil what you said is only true for a portion of the municipalities.

      If you want the most expensive, least effective internet possible, let the government run it.

      Not if the Government is just one of the competitors. And there are a few facts (places where it worked wonders) that prove you wrong. Sure there are colossal flops but they are hardly the majority.

      Regardless, even if everything you said is 100% true there shouldn't be any law forbidding them from trying.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Jul 2014 @ 6:22pm

    could she have been 'encouraged' to do so?

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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