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Net Neutrality 5-27-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Net Neutrality Action Alert

This is nothing more than blackmail by the telecoms. We need to counter this push. Committee Democrats need to hear from as many constituents as possible to counter the CWA’s pressure. Here’s the contact information for Democrats on the Committee. (See Matt Stoller’s diary for a full list of Judiciary Committee members.)

Urge them to support the bipartisan Sensenbrenner-Conyers Net Neutrality bill without amendment. The legislation as it stands is great–a CWA supported amendment would be a capitulation to the telecoms.

Mel Watt Needs To Hear From You to Protect Our Internet

“Urge them to support the bipartisan Sensenbrenner-Conyers Net Neutrality bill without amendment. The legislation as it stands is great”

Mel Watt sits on this committee, and he needs to hear from all concerned North Carolinians. If the Telecoms are allowed to have their way, we’ll have a multi-tiered system that will restrict the free flow of information.

Please contact Mel Watt today . . .

Deargenevra,

Our top priority is increasing the number of people who know about this threat to Internet freedom.

One thing you can do right now: Get five friends to join the fight

The struggle in Congress isn’t over. The full House will take up the bipartisan Judiciary bill (H.R. 5417) — as well as the massive rewrite of the Telecom Act — after they return in June. The Senate is also considering major legislation that currently fails to protect Net Neutrality, though a bipartisan group of Senators are lining up behind the excellent Snowe-Dorgan bill (S. 2917).

Our work is not done. But momentum is on our side.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 5-03-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Tim Berners-Lee On Net Neutrality: It’s Important, But Now What?

This is a big issue that many people don’t seem to want to dig in on. Those who are against net neutrality regulations say that the regulations will screw things up even more, but ignore the potential downsides to letting the telcos end net neutrality. Those who want regulation say network neutrality is very important and thus needs to be written into the law — but ignore the potentially stifling aspects of bad regulations. The problem is that both sides then are talking about different things… and there’s no one looking at if it’s written into law, how can it be written to cause as little damage as possible and if it’s not written into law, how can people feel comfortable that network neutrality will remain an option going forward?

why network neutrality matters, and is worth fighting for

Craig Fields from Gun Owners of America hit the target right-on when he said

“Whenever you see people on the far left and far right joining together about something Congress is getting ready to do, it’s been my experience that what Congress is getting ready to do is basically un-American.”

Net Neutrality and Work: Howz that going to work?

So, I was just sitting here thinking about what a stupid idea eliminating net neutrality would be for me as a private individual. You know, thousands of religious websites to choose from, DailyKos on “sloth-speed”, marketing majors in ecstasy, when it occured to me that my work life could be disrupted as well.
My work depends on my ability to get to governmental as well as a lot of very small company websites to download information, software and documentation. Are they all going to have to pay protection money to get into the fast lane?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Net Neutrality 4-28-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’ve added these links to the Net Neutrality Page today.

Net Neutrality” under siege

Congressmen Barton and Rush have been put under the microscope by opponents lately for their financial relationships with the telecommunications industry. Both vocal opponents of Net Neutrality provisions in the Commerce Committee, Barton and Rush led the charge in defeating the Markey Amendment.

Many find it no small coincidence that out of Barton’s top three campaign contributors, the second and third largest ones are SBC Communications (now AT&T) and Comcast Corporation. Tied for 12th among contributions is the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

The Chicago Sun-Times points out that Bobby Rush, the only Democrat to sponsor the bill, recently “received a $1 million grant from the charitable arm of SBC/AT&T” for a community organization Rush is associated with called the Rebirth of Englewood Community Development Corporation.

Net Neutrality: Congresswoman Lois Capps Responds by Marksb of Daily Kos quoting a response to his concerns by his Congresswoman Lois Capps

The Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, recently considered the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006, which would update the nation’s telecommunications laws. I voted for an amendment, sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), that would require that high-speed internet service providers operate their network in a non-discriminatory fashion. Unfortunately, this amendment was defeated on a 22-34 vote. Partly because of the lack of network neutrality provisions, I voted against the bill on final passage, but it passed 42-12.

I am committed to an internet that remains open and equally accessible to all. Network providers should not create shortcuts in the internet for preferred content, which would undermine the internet’s democratic nature.

Taking sides on Net neutrality

And this Proponents say such laws are needed to prevent broadband providers from abusing their control over Internet access by blocking traffic or charging content providers extra for special service. An amendment concerning those issues had received support from companies including Microsoft, Amazon.com and Google.

But opponents say the fears are overblown, and warned that the proposed legislation gave the Federal Communications Commission too much power to regulate the Internet.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE