E-mail Rendell to veto House Bill 30 (Re: Low cost internet)

[Mixxster]

I received this from Common Cause today via e-mail:

When the city of Philadelphia decided to build a wireless network, offering the promise of low-cost Internet access to its citizens, media giant Verizon Communications sprang into action, eager to prevent any municipality from offering it any competition. Verizon lobbied ferociously for passage of House Bill 30 ("HB 30"), which could effectively prevent Philadelphia and all other communities in Pennsylvania from providing for a fee any telecommunications services to their citizens, including cable and access to the Internet.

A spokeswoman for the city of Philadelphia said the bill was bad not only for consumers in her city, but "terrible for cities around the country, because if the telecommunications companies can stop it here in Pennsylvania, they'll probably be able to stop it anywhere."

Similar efforts by media giants to crush community efforts to form wireless networks are underway in nearly a dozen states, and more efforts are sure to follow. This is not just about crushing the prospects of low-cost Internet and cable; it's about destroying the dream of citizen power over their media, and access to the Internet for all Americans, including low-income citizens.

Last Friday, Verizon won, when the Pennsylvania state legislature passed HB 30. But the fight is not over yet. Governor Ed Rendell has until Tuesday, November 30 to veto the bill.

Governor Rendell needs to hear from you. Please sign this petition as soon as possible:

www.commoncause.org/VetoHouseBill30

This is an extremely important effort. After you have signed this petition, please forward this petition on to ten of your friends today:

www.commoncause.org/forwa...llPetition

We'll deliver our collected signatures to Governor Rendell first thing Monday morning.

Thank you for all that you do for Common Cause Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Chellie Pingree
President & CEO, Common Cause

[Joy Anne]

1. I wrote this morning via rapidresponse PA as follows:

> I do hope you'll veto the Verizon-sponsored bill and allow Philly to offer
> WiFi--which would make it the hippest, most technologically advanced, and
> most e-egalitarian city in the country. I might even be tempted to move
> back
> myself to watch it bloom and boom.

[durablend]

2. Sent them a "NO" vote yesterday...

All I see coming from this is my phone bill being jacked up yet again. There's no way Sprint is going to spend the money to upgrade the lines for DSL around here (which would be my only choice for high speed internet short of Comcrap who wants $60+ a month)...too far "in the sticks" as far as they're concerned. :eyes: