Phone Users Screwed by ALEC Legislation

Can you hear me NOW????
Now maybe - later probably not.

More ALEC de-regulation legislation!!!

Currently in California.

I have been waiting to post something on this until I found an article that was easier to read.  

Why post?
Cause this legislation pretty much affects most people and most businesses across the United States.

But  ...   it's not getting much press - cause most people don't know what VOIP is.

The importance of this is -  it is coming to YOUR state soon – ALEC legislators will be introducing it this fall.

And if this legislation has already been introduced once - the ALEC legislators will keep introducing it over and over again (one guy here in Minnesota has introduced the same ALEC bill seven years in a row).  Then when no one is looking they will slip it into a last minute, have to pass right now - piece of legislation.  (I have to believe ALEC legislators receive some type of piece rate for this.)

De-regulation legislation
– written to increase the profits of the Corporate Profits Sector members of the American Legislative Exchange Council
-  at the expense of the general public.

Increased profits for ALEC Corporate Profit Sector members means increased revenues for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  Free market at work – general public gets screwed for the want of more and more and more profits by ALEC and their members.

Like many horror movies, the opening scenes seem peaceful, though there is always a sign that something is about to go horribly wrong. In this case, Senator Padilla’s opening scene touts his bill, SB 1161, as protecting the Internet and fostering innovation, while preserving existing consumer protections. But the fact that every major telecom corporation—from AT&T and Comcast to Verizon and Time Warner—has an army of lobbyists working on the bill should be the sign that all is not as it seems.   

What SB 1161 really does is deregulate the telephone service in California, striping the ability of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to enact and enforce consumer and worker protections. How does it do this? Simple-- by explicitly prohibiting the CPUC from regulating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) -enabled phone service.

VoIP may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but many of us use VoIP –enabled services every day; it’s the next big thing in telecommunications. If you have AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity or Verizon FOIS, then you probably already use a VoIP service.

So why are giant telecom companies so eager to pre-empt VoIP regulation? Well, it turns out that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is looking more closely at the industry, and may allow greater regulation of VoIP at the state level. Telecom corporations are trying to get ahead of the FCC in order to beat the regulation and protect what could be a gold mine of profits.

ALEC - taking away your rights through de-regulation legislation.

When are people going to wake up?

The public is getting screwed by ALEC and most people are still not doing anything about it.

Yep – you get screwed – the business you work for (that has VOIP) gets screwed – BUT

ALEC and their corporate profit sector members make more and more and more profits.

Can you hear me NOW????
Now maybe - later probably not - if this ALEC legislation gains a foothold.

Read the whole thing  >>>>>HERE<<<<<