Re: WHAT TO DO?? Surely they wouldn't sell us out for a measly $8,359.00?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: jsq () quarterman com [jsq () quarterman com] On Behalf Of John S. Quarterman [jsq () quarterman org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 7:54 AM
To: David Farber
Cc: John S. Quarterman; ip
Subject: Re: [IP] Surely they wouldn't sell us out for a measly $8,359.00?

Dave,

For IP:

> From: Randall Webmail [rvh40 () insightbb com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:24 PM
> To: dewayne () warpspeed com; David Farber; johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com
> Subject: Surely they wouldn't sell us out for a measly $8,359.00?
>
> <http://www.maplight.org/FISA_June08>
>
> HOUSE DEMS WHO CHANGED THEIR VOTE TO SUPPORT FISA BILL, GIVING IMMUNITY TO TE
> LCOS, RECEIVED, ON AVERAGE, $8,359 IN PAC CONTRIBUTIONS FROM VERIZON, AT&T, A
> ND SPRINT

It's not just the immmediate contributions.  It's also:
 - pressure from key politicos who got more money than others,
        such as Jay Rockefeller
 - the implied promise of more telecom largesse
 - continuous lobbying by former colleagues and employees
 - lots of "help" writing bills
 - multiple PACs and lobbying firms laundering the telecom money
 - small opposition: the amount AT&T alone spent lobbying in Q1 2008
        is more than EFF's entire annual budget
 - the expectation of cushy lobbying or industry jobs after Congress
 - the comfortable feeling that this is just the way things are done

See Glenn Greenwald's writeup on all this:

 http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/05/24/telecoms/index.html?source=rss

What is to be done?

As taxpayers and constituents, ask Congress to do different.
The Senate has yet to vote on this bill.  Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd
have promised to filibuster against it.  Call Congress and ask to talk
to your Senator.  Toll free number:

 1 (800) 459-1887

Due to public outcry, Harry Reid is now scheduling the vote in
such a way as likely to delay it.  It's scheduled for today.

Elect better Congress members.

Donna Edwards and Bill Foster both won seats in Congress by opposing
the Iraq war and opposing telecom amnesty.  Foster won the seat
formerly occupied by the Republican Speaker of the House.

And remember, these are the same companies that are using the
same techniques to do away with net neutrality:

 http://riskman.typepad.com/peerflow/2008/06/banana-republic-dc-telecom-lobbying-revolving-door.html

-jsq




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