ALEC ACT Screws Poor, Rural, and Elderly

Earlier this year I reported on how Kentucky was getting screwed by the telecom profit sector members that belong to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Rather than link it - I'll give you one quick snip.

Hornback argues S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,” without explaining exactly how abandoning customers enhances their level of service.

In relation to S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,

A snip from the Kentucky National Rural Assembly

As rural constituents, we feel compelled to express our concern over the negative impact that SB 135 will have on rural, remote, and poor communities in Kentucky. Especially at a time when poverty rates are statistically high and jobs are scarce, Kentuckians cannot afford to lose yet another resource. We are extremely worried that SB 135 will:

ü      Leave rural, low-income and fixed-income Kentuckians without access to basic phone service, including 911-emergency service.

ü      Leave customers at the mercy of a utility and its affiliated companies to raise the price for basic service in an area where no other competitor exists.

ü      Allow possible “redlining” of poor and remote communities where providing service is more costly or higher-maintenance.

ü      Strip the Public Service Commission of its authority to protect consumers by investigating complaints regarding basic telephone service quality.

ü      Carriers could decide to abandon or retire their wirelines, resulting in loss of access to vulnerable customers by the competitors.

Then today I found this - when researching for this entry.

Hornback argues S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,"
Shazam!
You have the ALEC REGULATORY MODERNIZATION ACT

Coincidence - I think not.

Hornback is a freshman legislator and probably has joined ALEC since the drop of member names and when ALEC locked up their files tighter than an infected sphincter.

Hornbeck is ALEC-esque - at the very least.
For SB 12 he won an award for trying to disconnect Kentucky's rural and elderly and poor constituents.

Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, took home the Limited Government Award for teaming with AT&T to limit the reach of government in the telecommunications industry.

What organization did he win the award from?  Well, the Bluegrass Institute which state as their focus.

Bluegrass Institute fights for meaningful, systemic public policy changes. We work with other Kentuckians, grassroots organizations, and business owners to advance free-dom and prosperity by promoting…

    Free-market capitalism

    Smaller government

    Defense of personal liberties

WTF????   Let's see what does that remind me of?

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as part of its mission to discuss, develop, and disseminate public policies, which expand

free markets,

promote economic growth,

limit the size of government, and

preserve individual liberty.

WTF????
Bluegrass Institute is evidently an ALEC mini-me.
Wonder how many more of those there are in each state - and if ALEC/Koch funds them?

Well - anyhow
This isn't about Hornbeck - but I had to start somewhere.

No one paid attention to what was happening in Kentucky and other Southeastern states with the  pushing of the ALEC Regulatory Modernization Act.

So - it made it's way to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and is headed for California.

It was introduced here in Minnesota also - by an ALEC member of course.

These damn little Koch-roaches are just spreading across the country at the speed of light - before the sons of bitches get kick out on their ass in November.

Yesterday Alternet had a must read for everyone.

READ the whole thing   >>>>HERE<<<

Some snips - to emphasis how horrendous this ALEC legislation is (my emphsis):

ALEC-backed telecommunications deregulation bills hit New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut recently, in a one-two-three punch combination designed as a quick knockout blow that consumers and workers would be powerless to fight. But a coalition, including the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the Working Families party, and the AARP, managed to stop the bills, which would've resulted in cost hikes, lost jobs, and service cut-offs for “less profitable” customers—disproportionately senior, rural, or low-income customers who use basic phone service.

But it's not just jobs that the telecoms would like to eliminate—it's service to people who don't choose to use the fancier products or can't afford expensive service, or maybe who live in a rural area.

In Connecticut and New Jersey, the deregulation plan would have eliminated “carrier of last resort” protections, which require them to provide service to anyone who reasonably requests it in their coverage area. Matt Wood explained, “Phone companies have always had special rights and privileges granted by the state, so they've been expected to provide service to everybody.

And Lindsay Farrell of the Connecticut Working Families Party noted, “To give [telecoms] the ability to say 'This part of the state isn't as profitable, we don't want to serve them, we want to serve people here where they can afford higher rates,' that leaves a lot of people in silence.”

“In what way would the low-income people you represent benefit from this?” he asked.

Still, ALEC and its corporate backers aren't going to give up easily—AT&T and Verizon, Time Warner and Cablevision and many others still want deregulation and are willing to pay for it. The bills in the three states have stalled, but the fight is on in California right now. Master noted, “These people have infinitely deep pockets and they never stop.” 

  
 “These people have infinitely deep pockets and they never stop.”

REMEMBER folks - the telephone companies and cable companies are running their wires and cable under OUR streets and over OUR streets with their  poles pounded into the PUBLIC right of way..  That is the PUBLIC COMMONS!

They are transmitting their signals through the COMMONS - OUR space.
That is OUR public right away and we have the right to demand certain services for them who ask to use PUBLIC PROPERTY for profit.

Phone and cable companies provide service AT THE DISCRETION OF the PUBLIC.
All we have to do is take their rights away to the places they run cable, wires or that they transmit through. WE CONTROL THEIR ASS!

Without the public commons - they can not exist!

Don't let the phone and cable companies screw you over with some line about what they need de-regulate.
Regulations were put in place cause we know from history that phone and cable companies are  DISHONEST to the core when it comes to the consumer.

The only thing phone and cable companies are concerned with is PROFIT.
And that is why ALEC sucks up to their Corporate Profit Sector members.

We gotta pay attention folks
- we need to step forward and
               make a hell of a lot of noise when things like this happen in our states
- or ALEC will just move it from one state
to the next state
to the next state and
pretty soon if you aren't rich - you won't have phone or tv service.