Verizon-Funded Group Claims Killing Net Neutrality Would Really Help Puerto Rico Right Now

from the really-bad-taste dept

We've long noted how one of the sleazier telecom industry lobbying tactics involves paying minority, diversity, or other groups to parrot policies that actually undermine their constituents, but provide the illusion of public support for shitty positions. Like when the cable industry paid Jesse Jackson to claim that trying to bring competition to the cable box was akin to racism in the 1960's American South. Or when AT&T paid the The Hispanic Institute to support the company's planned acquisition of T-Mobile, ignoring that the deal would have killed tens of thousands of jobs, while driving up wireless rates for all Americans.

Because there appears to be zero public repercussion for this grotesque tactic, it has continued to be highly effective -- and has been of great use to AT&T, Verizon and Comcast as they attempt to gut net neutrality rules. While this sort of group co-opting is always in bad taste, the Intercept noticed that the Verizon-funded National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce decided to take things to the next level this week. In an editorial over at The Hill, executive director Justin V&‌eacute;lez-Hagan claimed killing net neutrality would aid storm-stricken Puerto Rico:

"My organization’s interests — especially those of small businesses and entrepreneurs in Puerto Rico who now need to be afforded every advantage and opportunity to grow more than ever before — and our members’ mutual experience have made it clear that the best thing for America’s fragile economy will be for the FCC to continue its plan to repeal the unnecessary regulations."

Vélez-Hagan wrote that the public should back the effort by Pai and others to place the Republican majority in Congress in charge of remaking net neutrality rules. Doing so, Vélez-Hagan wrote, would provide the “incentive for businesses to invest in Puerto Rico (and others impacted by natural disasters) instead of relying solely on relief packages.”

So one, as documented countless times, the claim that modest U.S. net neutrality rules (which didn't go half as far as other international implementations in Canada, India or elsewhere) hurt broadband investment is indisuptable nonsense, a position supported by SEC filings, earnings reports, and ISP executives' own statements. That doesn't stop the broadband industry from paying countless economists, fauxcademics, astroturfers, politicians, diversity groups and other paid policy parrots to repeat this claim ad nauseam -- despite all of them knowing full well it simply isn't true.

Two, the idea that gutting popular consumer protections will magically help Puerto Rico rebuild is both nonsensical and offensive. Many Puerto Ricans continue to struggle to get clean drinking water and medical care, and most telecom services won't be restored until sometime next year. The idea that Puerto Ricans have the luxury to worry about net neutrality right now is obnoxious tone deafness, and the claim that killing effective, useful consumer protections is almost as good as traditional relief funding is both ignorant and dangerous.

Of course, since this cozy quid pro quo is never clearly put into writing, groups like this can usually hide behind a quick "no comment" or some faux breathless indignation at the idea these groups are little more than glorified parrots for industry. Meanwhile, outlets like the Hill are more than happy to print this kind of prattle without the slightest funding and conflict of interest disclosures, only perpetuating the problem.

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Filed Under: competition, justin velez-hagan, net neutrality, puerto rico
Companies: national puerto rican chamber of commerce, verizon


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  1. icon
    Vidiot (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 5:47am

    "... the best thing for America’s fragile economy..."

    Whoa... don't use that phrase near Chairman Pai's boss! He MAGA'd the economy, from what I hear.

    This is the problem with astroturfing; you can't manage the messaging with any nuance, and your amateur apologists accidentally say things that don't match the supplied narrative. Or, worse yet, they might say something that's true.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    Ehud Gavron (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 6:19am

    Editor around?

    "Justin V&‌eacute;lez-Hagan"?

    Also, when you read an EDITORIAL on THE HILL don't expect anything other than an OPINION of an A-****.

    E

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 6:37am

    Never let a serious crisis go to waste.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 6:42am

    Why do they attempt to co-opt the struggles of minority groups when everyone knows they do not give a shit about minorities. This makes them look even more hypocritical.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    ThatDevilTech (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 7:12am

    Re:

    Looks similar to someone saying "I have a lot of black friends, so I'm not racist." One does not mean the other. They have a lot of "friends" they care about, only when it's right for their message.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 7:33am

    This is amateur stuff

    The REAL exploitation is happening courtesy of Secretary Zinke's no-bid award of a $300M contract to a "power company" with two full-time employees that happens, and I mean this is really just an astonishing coincidence, to be from the same town that he is...and to have ties to his family.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 7:54am

    >and our members’ mutual experience have made it clear that the best thing for America’s fragile economy will be for the FCC to continue its plan to repeal the unnecessary regulations

    And let the ISPs regulate access to the Internet to benefit their own profits. I am sure that extra charges to access their customers will do wonders for your members businesses, so long as they want to become employees of large corporations.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 8:07am

    Re:

    Don't get me wrong, the author is a full-blood lobbyist with no care about losers like customers as long as it can benefit the ISPs he represents and using Puerto Ricos current state as an argument is extremely dishonorable. But the primary suggestion is to let the politicians make laws to replace Title II, which is not as big a deal as it is made out to be. As soon as Pai comes up with a document to start the work on a Title II successor is when the real objective war on his slimy lies can begin.

    Reading that NPRChamber (which is a lobbying organisation mr. Velez-Hagan represents) is sponsored by Alphabet, Apple, Paypal, Verizon and Charter (Spectrum) along with Herbalife and a few others!?! is not a strong platform for his opinions to begin with. Btw. calling them National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce is a bit of a disgraceful since this lobbyist is astro-turfing as an official government organ in Puerto Rico, which couldn't be further from the truth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 9:13am

    That they probably dumped a shitload of money on a struggling nation to get this endorsement sickens me to no end.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 10:39am

    If you repeat a lie often enough and long enough...

    people will eventually come to believe it.

    --AT&T motto

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    TripMN, 26 Oct 2017 @ 11:07am

    Re:

    They probably didn't "[dump] a shitload of money on a struggling nation". My guess is it is more like beads and firewater level of bribery.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Andy, 26 Oct 2017 @ 1:34pm

    Google

    If i lived in the region or had the money to i would be investing in property on the island as it looks like Google fibre and Tesla electric could be using the island as an example of what they can achieve. Maybe i could buy trumps bankrupt golf course and build a few homes on each hole...damn i have good ideas, just cannot think of a name to call the area after doing a deal for trump to give it up for a few thousand pesos as we all know he is terrible at making deals...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Blaine (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 2:18pm

    Not to worry

    This will probably be ignored since certain government officials appear to be unaware that Puerto Rico is actually part of the US.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    CyberKender, 26 Oct 2017 @ 2:44pm

    It is amazing how much shite they expect us to believe...

    Up next: War is peace, strength is weakness, and ketchup is a vegetable.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 4:01pm

    'Selling out to verizon is good for MY finances, so surely it's good for everyone, right?'

    I almost hope they paid him a good amount for his dignity and self-respect to sell out the people struggling with the aftermath of a disaster like that, because I'd hate to think he went cheap.

    On the other hand... Fuck him. Selling out those around him for any amount of money is a revolting act, and shows just how contemptible and disgusting a person he really is, such that if he's capable of feeling shame for what he's done it will be compounded by having to face just how little he went for.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 26 Oct 2017 @ 4:02pm

    Re:

    They don't need to dump a lot of money, nevermind a 'shitload' of money, just a moderate amount in certain bank accounts.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2017 @ 7:57pm

    Re: Re:

    Apologies, it was too vague.

    Maybe they just had to give the right people enough duck l'orange.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    ideo-anonymous, 26 Oct 2017 @ 9:18pm

    how can i get some of this cash?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Oct 2017 @ 2:46am

    I am from Puerto Rico and its the first time we hear of this "organization"

    This is bull... The chamber of commerce is an actual national organization over here but this one is just a fake hoping to catch the uninformed to pass off their support for Pai as the official stance of our government. This pretty much constitutes an attempt to impersonate a local government official with is a crime over here.

    Right now we struggle with basic necessities and communications fail constantly. Net neutrality prevents the ISPs and the telco incumbents from profiteering more than they already are during this national crisis. It borders on treason as it seeks to harm the lives of my people as we are working our butts off trying to rebuild. Last thing wee need is fast lane price gouging schemes and all the other abuse Net Neutrality prevents being legalized so our cable monopoly and shitty wireles providers can further erode the quality of service with their greed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Oct 2017 @ 4:05am

    Re:

    There is nothing official in this. NPRChamber is a lobbyist astroturfing as an official government organisation.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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