The weekly flip-off from your public servants in Washington D.C Hey America, Net Neutrality may be good for democracy, but it's bad for business. Therefore, if it's bad for business it's bad for democracy.
Got it. Good.
Senate panel rejects amendment to protect Net Neutrality
This is not just about making money for big telecom and cable companies. This would effectively enable the strangulation of those of us working via the internet to organize and oppose the right wing agenda.
But the fight is not over yet! Senator Ron Wyden has the balls to stand up for internet freedom. Please follow the links in this post to support him in his efforts to keep the internet free of content discrimination. Wyden to Block Telecom Bill Without Net Neutrality
June 28th, 2006 by tkarr
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has placed a “hold” on major telecommunications legislation recently approved by the Senate Commerce Committee until clear language is included in the legislation that prevents discrimination in Internet access.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has placed a “hold” on major telecommunications legislation recently approved by the Senate Commerce Committee until clear language is included in the legislation that prevents discrimination in Internet access.
Immediately following the Commerce Committee’s vote against a Net Neutrality amendment, Senator Wyden marched onto the floor of the Senate to demand that the legislation include stronger safeguards against phone and cable company discrimination.
“The major telecommunications legislation reported today by the Senate Commerce Committee is badly flawed,” Wyden told the Senate, according to the transcript of his speech:
“The bill makes a number of major changes in the country’s telecommunications law but there is one provision that is nothing more than a license to discriminate. Without a clear policy preserving the neutrality of the Internet and without tough sanctions against those who would discriminate, the Internet will be forever changed for the worse.”
A hold signals his intent to filibuster until certain issues in the Stevens’ bill are cleared up. Stevens is uncertain that he has the 60 votes to break a filibuster. If at least 41 Senators stand strong behind Net Neutrality, then Wyden’s hold could keep the Telecom bill from the floor.
The legislation that passed through committee today has toothless provisions on net neutrality, and instead opens the way for companies like AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth to charge consumers and small businesses new and discriminatory fees on top of those they already charge for Internet access.
“The Internet has thrived precisely because it is neutral,” Wyden said. “It has thrived because consumers, and not some giant cable or phone company, get to choose what they want to see and how quickly they get to see it. I am not going to allow a bill to go forward that is going to end surfing the web free of discrimination.”
Watch the video of Wyden’s speech at the Agonist. The full text of Wyden’s statement is available online at Salem-News.com
Source: Save the Internet
Please visit Save the Inernet for ways you can help win this fight.
