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WORTH READING Free Press Proposes Broadband Infrastructure Bailout of $44Billion --- More Taxes to Give Wealthy Companies that Failedto Build Out Their Networks]
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:12:07 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: "Bruce Kushnick" <bruce () newnetworks com> Date: December 30, 2008 7:42:04 PM EST To: <dave () farber net>Subject: RE: [IP] Re: Free Press Proposes Broadband Infrastructure Bailout of $44Billion --- More Taxes to Give Wealthy Companies that Failedto Build Out Their Networks]
I don't think most people understand just how we got played about broadband deployment and now just want to raise taxes to give companies that failed
us. Dave wrote:
2. promises will be made that will not be kept ( remember the promises
.made in Pennsylvania and not kept)Here's a 1996 press release from Verizon --- About PA and the rest of their
territories... http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/bell-atlantic/1996/page.jsp?ite mID=29607541
Bell Atlantic plans to begin its network upgrade in Philadelphia andsoutheastern Pennsylvania later this year. The company plans to expand this Full Service Network deployment to other key markets over the next three years. Ultimately, Bell Atlantic expects to serve most of the 12 million homes and small businesses across the mid-Atlantic region with switchedbroadband networks.
Each state was given a) massive tax deductions - billions per state --- and changes to depreciation so they could write off the copper plant -- which was never replaced. b) the removal of regulation on profits, so that the profits went from 12-14% to 29% ---c) No regulator went back and got the money, which is still being collected
today in virtually every Verizon state. And in the rural areas, most of the rural carriers have received massive financial help from the USF fund -- and many have obscene profit margins because of it. The reason we don't have broadband is because these companies can sayanything, then not do anything... giving them more money is simply throwing
it away. It will not increase broadband deployment as there will be no mechanism to compel them once they got the money and no regulator with enough moxey to do anything about it... History, not hope, is what we should be examining... Bruce Kushnick. ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Current thread:
- WORTH READING Free Press Proposes Broadband Infrastructure Bailout of $44Billion --- More Taxes to Give Wealthy Companies that Failedto Build Out Their Networks] David Farber (Dec 31)
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- Re: WORTH READING Free Press Proposes Broadband Infrastructure Bailout of $44Billion --- More Taxes to Give Wealthy Companies that Failedto Build Out Their Networks] David Farber (Dec 31)