Verizon Thinks It's A Good Idea To Mock New Jersey Taxpayers After Ripping Them Off For Years

Broadband

from the so-long-suckers dept

Wed, Aug 12th 2015 5:16am — Karl Bode

We've noted a few times how Verizon has a rich history of taking taxpayer money, subsidies and tax breaks, then promising fiber deployment that never occurs. When it then comes time for local municipalities to hold the telco's feet to the fire, campaign contributions ensure any investigation is short lived. It happened in Pennsylvania, it happened in New York City, and it recently happened in New Jersey, when state officials let Verizon off the hook for a 1993 promise to evenly deploy fiber across the state in exchange for billions in benefits.

Shortly after state officials let Verizon walk away from its obligations, they also granted Verizon exemption from regulations requiring it continue servicing DSL customers whose lines were paid for in large part thanks to billions in subsidies. As we've noted, companies like AT&T and Verizon are hanging up on customers they don't want to upgrade, and forcing them instead to notably more expensive and capped wireless services. Many customers would prefer Verizon maintain or upgrade their fixed-line broadband connections, since they've paid an arm and a leg for them.

About fifty annoyed municipalities have now formed an alliance aimed at holding Verizon's feet to the fire. Collectively, they're trying to explore ways to hold Verizon accountable, require it to deliver promised upgrades, or at the very least maintain existing DSL lines until something better comes along. Verizon's response? To mock these people as Luddites:"But Verizon New Jersey spokesman Lee Gierczynski has called this "misplaced fear" resulting from "misinformation and misunderstanding about copper networks, fiber networks and the reliability of those networks." "This is a classic example of how some people fear new technology so they reactively reject it instead of accepting it, no matter how irrational that fear may be," Gierczynski said.
Except that's not what's happening here at all. People aren't angry because they're afraid of fiber upgrades, because the majority aren't getting those upgrades. They're angry because Verizon's trying to shovel them to "good enough" wireless service with low caps and steep $15 per gigabyte overage fees. Like AT&T, Verizon would have you believe that having your less expensive, unlimited DSL line replaced by a hugely expensive LTE connection (you may not even be able to get) is a step into the Utopian telecom future. Verizon's spokesman shows just how tone deaf the company is by then suggesting these folks should be mocked:

"He added: "I think people are going to look back and laugh at people ... just like who were a part of the Anti-Digit Dialing League."

Of course what people are actually going to look back on and laugh (or cry) at is Verizon's ability to take billions in subsidies, do little to nothing with it, convince regulators to turn the other cheek to outright theft, then mock annoyed consumers when they try to complain.

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Filed Under: broadband, innovation, new jersey, subsidies
Companies: verizon

23 Comments

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That One Guy (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 4:42am

Standard, if sleazy, debate tactic
If you can't respond and answer the arguments being used against you, and the points being raised, belittle and mock the one(s) raising them.

Completely abandon the defensive, don't respond to any of the questions or points raised, but go on the offensive instead. Doing this puts the one(s) criticizing you on the defensive, and suddenly they, not you, have to defend their stances and actions. If they try and hold your feet to the fire, and direct the conversation back to their original question, act offended or condescending and spin it as them 'getting defensive' and 'not wanting to answer a simple question'.

Rinse and repeat until your opponent hopefully just gives it up in disgust, and then declare yourself the winner(by default, but leave that part out).
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:03am

Verizon, and it friends are working towards the perfect business model, being paid for promises that they never have to deliver.
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Violynne (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:15am

"This is a classic example of how some people fear new technology so they reactively reject it instead of accepting it, no matter how irrational that fear may be,"

Yep, Verizon is out of touch.

Clearly the people of New Jersey are only following the lead as displayed by the MPAA, RIAA, every other gatekeeper, copyright, patent, and DRM supporters.
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Violynne (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:16am

Dammit! Forgot to close the bold tag. Will we ever get an edit option? *sigh*
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mcinsand, 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:33am

Re: Standard, if sleazy, debate tactic
TOG, you've really hit a nerve for me, and it's one reason I dread our upcoming political season. Whatever issue, and whatever side, the passive demeaning in a debate, discussion, or article immediately turns me away. When I see key words or phrases like 'common sense,' 'reasonable,' 'rational,' etc., I immediately turn off. If you can't stand on actual merits of your position, then don't waste my time. Make your argument on the facts without underhandedly calling the other side unreasonable or irrational.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:35am

'"This is a classic example of how some people fear new technology so they reactively reject it instead of accepting it, no matter how irrational that fear may be," Gierczynski said.'

...Says the guy working for the company that's trying to get out of it's lawful obligations for new technologies.
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Richard (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:47am

Re: Re: Standard, if sleazy, debate tactic
Yep - notice that the name calling is once again used to discredit an argument by conflating it with another argument that is "commonly accetpted top be discredited".

It doesn't matter if the two arguments are completely unrelated - so long as your words have a vaguely plausible ring.

Now add "Luddite" to the list that already includes:

**ist
**phobic
**-denier
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paul (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 6:54am

These municipalities are missing an opportunity here. Rather than waste time, money, and breath fighting Verizon, they should instead pour those resources into a municipal broadband offering and cut Verizon out of the loop entirely.
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RD, 12 Aug 2015 @ 7:08am

Re: Standard, if sleazy, debate tactic
Oh, so just like every shilltroll who comments here then.
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Ninja (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 7:14am

Re:
That. And then mock Verizon back.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 7:30am

Re:
Whoa.. isn't the patent for that held by politicians?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 7:32am

Re:
sure... at the same time get their damn money back from Verizon.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 7:50am

Verizon just another company that's grown too big this is the issue above all others , a smaller company would be afraid to lose customers to big to fail and lots of money in politicians pockets.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 8:02am

There is a simple way to deal with this. Don't use Verizon as your service provider. Vote with your money going somewhere else. That is all they understand.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 8:04am

Re: Re:
That's why they fall for empty promise by industry, it is a kindred soul calling to them.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 8:18am

Re:
why do you think that they spend money on laws that prevent any real competition? They are keeping their customers by making sure that they cannot go elsewhere.
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Anonmylous, 12 Aug 2015 @ 9:30am

Treat em like us
if I do not pay my taxes, do not pay my lawfully issued tickets, or even do not pay Student Loans or other privately made obligations, the State can and will take my property away to clear that debt.

So why don't they do the same to Verizon? Just take their entire business in the state of New Jersey. The taxpayers did pay for it, the company failed to uphold its end of many legal and valid contracts. Sue them with the intention of taking over the network rather than making them pay. Cost them a business sector (including wireless!) and see if they don't hop smart in other states all of a sudden.
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Uriel-238 (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 11:00am

I think the perfect business model is: Being paid.
No promise necessary. The state subsidizes Verizon because they're just swell guyz.
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Uriel-238 (profile), 12 Aug 2015 @ 11:01am

Why don't they do the same to Verizon?
Because Verizon gives really awesome blowjobs?
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Zonker, 12 Aug 2015 @ 11:46am

Re:
Take a lien out on Verizon's existing copper and fiber optic infrastructure in your municipality. If Verizon does not either complete the required upgrades/maintenance to service the entire area or pay back all subsidies collected to date, repossess/foreclose the infrastructure and use it to kick start your municipal network.

After all, this is a debt Verizon owes to the taxpayers.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Aug 2015 @ 1:53pm

If they are unwilling to maintain it, then they have abandoned it. Let someone else come in and take over.
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Sheogorath (profile), 14 Aug 2015 @ 7:57pm

Re:
Except that these municipalities probably passed laws against municipal broadband at the lobbying of incumbents, leaving holding Verizon responsible for living up to its broken promises their only option.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Aug 2015 @ 9:06am

Re:
Had you replied to your first comment, you could have used the only edit button you need
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