“Senate Republicans moved Monday afternoon to prevent the FCC’s proposed rules on net neutrality with an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that would tie up funding at the agency for new regulatory mandates. Observers said, however, that the move was unlikely to be approved in the Democrat-majority Congress,” Cecilia Kang reports for The Washington Post.
Kang reports, “Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), ranking member of Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said in a release: ‘We must tread lightly when it comes to new regulations. Where there have been a handful of questionable actions in the past on the part of a few companies, the Commission and the marketplace have responded swiftly. The case has simply not been made for what amounts to a significant regulatory intervention into a vibrant marketplace. These new regulatory mandates and restrictions could stifle investment incentives,’ she said.”
“Senators John Ensign (R-Nev.), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), David Vitter (R-La.), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and John Thune (R-S.D. co-sponsored the amendment,” Kang reports. “The two Republican commissioners at the five-member FCC issued a joint statement in response to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s announcement, expressed concern that conclusions have been prematurely drawn about how consumers and businesses are being affected by Web policies. ‘We are concerned that both factual and legal conclusions may have been drawn before the process has begun,’ said Commissioners Robert McDowell and Merideth Baker. ‘We do not believe that the Commission should adopt regulations based merely on anecdotes, or in an effort to alleviate the political pressures of the day, if the facts do not clearly demonstrate that a problem needs to be remedied.'”
Kang reports, “Some wireless providers have balked at the proposal, with AT&T saying it does not agree that the rules should apply to its giant national wireless network because of capacity constraints. Genachowski said in his speech that the rules would apply to all platforms – which would include wireless – but that such questions would be part of a process that will begin late October to come up with new rules. If approved, final rules could be drawn next spring.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we said back in August 2006: “We don’t presume to know the best way to get there, but we support the concept of “Net Neutrality” especially as it pertains to preventing the idea of ISP’s blocking or otherwise impeding sites that don’t pay the ISP to ensure equal access. That said, we usually prefer the government to be hands-off wherever possible, Laissez-faire, except in cases where the free market obviously cannot adequately self-regulate (antitrust, for example). Regulations are static and the marketplace is fluid, so such regulation can often have unintended, unforeseen results down the road. We sincerely hope that there are enough forces in place and/or that the balances adjust in such a manner as to keep the ‘Net as neutral as it is today.”
That we have the same Take over three years later should be telling. Government regulations are not a panacea, neither are the lack thereof. It’s all about striking a proper balance where innovation can thrive while abuses are prevented.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “iWill” for the heads up.]
Zeke those instances pail in comparison to what the government wants to do to us now. The majority of Americans rightly distrust the government much more than the free market. Look at the lunatics in charge right now!
Maobama is abandoning our troops in Afghanistan. What up with DAT????
Not a surprise from the party of “No”. Less of a surprise from the Righty-Tighties. More and more of the country is against you and tired of your non-sense. You Righty-Tighties are certifiable nuts.
@Sir Gill Bates
You know, I recently read a disturbing article about the results of civics tests given to high school students in Oklahoma. Only one in four could correctly name the first president of the United States! I can only imagine what they would have answered if asked to list the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.
That’s really frightening because democracy depends on an educated population. You can’t be a good citizen if all you can do is scream “commie” and other mindless insults, then turn on the TV and lap up the “hate speech of the day.”
That kind of ignorance is the real danger.
As for quality of life, I have enjoyed my half-dozen visits to various European countries, but the idea of not being allowed the means of personal self-defense in my own home, of being required to present my papers to check in to a hotel, of being told how many hours a week I am allowed to work, of working more months of the year for the state than for myself and my family, and all the other marks of slavery you all accept as natural – no, that’s not for me or for most Americans.
I quote Ben Franklin….
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!”
Every day I am grateful America’s founding fathers put in place a system designed to stop the Obama’s of the world from screwing things up.
It’s the American system. God bless it.
you commie-libs have unfortunately taken over the US public school system and have been systematically trying to brainwash our children over to your commie-cult way of thinking. it takes them a dozen or so years of working in the real world to figure out what you have tried to do them and how bad you libs are. power is all that you are after and destroying the constitution. you want tyranny and we won’t let you get your way.
@ Islandgirl,
So true. It seems to me that many of the so called educators in this country are more concerned with building fancy new schools and their own little empires. Knowledge and reason are taking a back seat to their own gain. And most of the parents haven’t a clue.
The majority of American people do not believe that global warming is man made and therefore will not permit our Congress to pass what amounts to a huge tax increase that will benefit the government and some industrialists. For the record, we do believe the earth is warming but from natural causes and we would all be better off figuring out how to adapt and live rather than trying to change the natural cycles of the earth.
So many of our educators are liberal trolls trying to brainwash the young and impressionable. I know a lot of conservatives that are going into teaching to put a stop to this.
Paterson blames weak Obama record for friction
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0909/Paterson_blames_weak_Obama_record_for_friction.html
GREAT ECONOMICS AND FINANCE LESSON………
This is probably the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read. This is one paragraph that should be in every book in every school room in every city in every state in our great Union . Our educators should make a lesson plan on this one statement and beat these words into every head in every class in every state in these United States of America .
Profound short paragraph
“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”*
* Adrian Rogers, 1931*
@ Not a European,
I have to admit that I don’t understand their attitude towards self-defense. I work with a guy who vacationed in England, and the police saw his pocket knife and almost arrested him. They took his knife and gave him a load of crap. Then again, we have that kind of scared-of-everything thinking here in the U.S. also.
Thank goodness for the 2nd Amendment and the NRA.
@gzero
I never voted for a POTUS in my life and I’m not about to start now! But I have voted in all national elections.
MW: down, as in DWA (Down With Acronyms).
@ Adrian,
“You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
Then why do people want stock splits?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/22/massachusetts-senate-approves-kennedy-successor/?test=latestnewscomments
disgusting abuse of power. this has switched back and forth for the dems to serve their political purposes. why do you massholes vote for these nuts.
Is that really Sir Bill Gates talking???? Can’t be.
Obama has no experience being a leader of anything. Our last presidents have been governors of states or veterans of the Senate. They knew how America works and how to get along with political opponents. Obama spent a few ineffective months in the Senate and that’s all.. He’s never had to work with any kind of political opposition and doesn’t understand why he can’t have everything his own way, like Hugo Chavez or that little thug from Iran. He doesn’t understand that by ignoring opposing viewpoints he strengthens the position of his adversaries. True leadership is all about getting along with the other side. Otherwise, the only way Obama can get everything he wants is by arresting several thousand rightwing leaders and putting them behind barbed wire, like the Castro brothers commonly do in Cuba. Then shut down Fox news and get rid of talk radio. Give long prison sentences to a few influential climate-deniers to stifle the rest of that lot. Then Obama can alter the constitution so he can serve as president-for-life. I imagine that most liberal poster hear may find this to be not altogether a bad thing. Am I right?
@ Greg,
I have always been a proponent of the 2nd Amendment. I don’t think that should preclude someone from being for some of the social issues. I vote Independent, although I guess it’s probably hard to tell that from some of my posts.
By the way, I use to be a registered Republican, but never a Democrat. I don’t get all of my beliefs from one basket.
That’s good to hear. So there is some hope for you yet.
As soon as you self identify as a conservative you make it clear that you are not for intelligent discussion. If republicans said the world is flat, you would believe it and tell those wacky scientist to piss off. Why are you against regulation? Are you against the FDA, USDA, SEC, CDC, FBI….. It would be nice if we could trust business to self regulate, but the prove daily that they will prey on the weak every day. A conservative is someone who thinks that they are the reason for all good in the world. They are actually responsible for a great deal of the misery amd death in this world, hiding behind their pro life charade. If you don’t think these companies will screw you, I have some swamp land in FL to show you.
@ Sir Bill Gates,
And most of the parents haven’t a clue.
Well, that’s the other problem. If kids aren’t getting civics at school, they have to get it at home, and that doesn’t appear to be happening either.
@the gutless winger types who don’t have the b*lls to register their names,
I know several teachers who genuinely love their profession and strive to educate their students so they can graduate with the the ability to read and reason. They tell me it’s an uphill battle because of kids’ short attention spans and because there’s often no support from parents.
I’m sure it would be easier to simply sit children down in front of a TV and brainwash them into the unthinking nasties who spray “commie-lib” crap throughout this site, but these teachers actually want to make a difference in the lives of their kids. So they keep trying.
Why do the GOP, right wingers and conservatives hate America so much?
@ Islandgirl,
I didn’t mean my comment as a dig against teachers, but the administrators and hierarchy who rule our educational system. Some of the superintendents in my area are paid like the CEOs of mega-corporations, and think they are royalty.
Tracking Your Taxes: Sending Billions in Aid to Despots and Wealthy Nations
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/22/tracking-taxes-sending-billions-aid-despots-wealthy-nations/