FRANKEN OPINES: NET NEUTRALITY & COMCAST-NBC MERGER

An issue that's all over the Web, Facebook and Twitter is the Net Neutrality deal that the FCC negotiated and Congress passed. The outlook isn't very clear and by the alarming accounts I've read, could have a negative affect on the services we are used to.

The most notable alarmist who has done his best to waken the public of these fears is  Al Franken of Minnesota. In an article in PC Mag, Franken states:

"I believe we are facing and will continue to face a growing threat of corporate control on the flow of information in our country. These rules are not strong enough." "This is the first time the FCC has ever allowed discrimination on the Internet."

For internet savy folks who are paying attention, we have been following the best we can, but details are coming out now after the December decision. The discrimination that Franken speaks of is the wealthy corporations flooding our normal search-engines with "Preferred" links and bolstered downloads while pushing competitors aside and dampening their download times. Smaller companies and/or entrepreneurs would be pretty much shut out.

This may not be big chatter on the street, but the new rules apply to fixed internet providers and not wireless companies. The hope is that the FCC will come back to this issue and modify the new rules in small steps in the near future now that the bulk of the law is established.Thus providing equal protection for wireless geeks everywhere. 
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts & NBC's Jeff Zucker pictured below.

Although the deal was granted by congress, it was passed by party line vote. Other than Franken, all the minority Republican Congressmen voted against having any forced equalization of internet neutrality. So while Al claimed the bill didn't go far enough, they thought it intrusive and went beyond their duty.
  While I'm writing about Al Franken, I can note the continued chatter all over the same outlets regarding the Comcast-NBC merger. The FCC gave their blessing to the merger last Tuesday, creating the biggest TV/Internet Provider in history. Franken is also ringing the alarm on this as well. Sure the FCC and the DoJ did their best to lay out stipulations and safeguards throughout the the deal, but how long before these firms order their lawyers to dissolve any consumer protections they deem monopoly deterrent?
 In the WashPost, Franken said: "A combined Comcast-NBCU will lead to higher cable prices, hurt small providers, and prompt cable channels to accept fewer licensing dollars just to reach Comcast's 23 million customers.  I'm hearing that Comcast is already intends to pull NBC's programming from Netflix when it's next up for review. It will only be a matter of time before we see AT&T trying to buy ABC-Disney or Verizon trying to buy CBS-Viacom." 

Only a week ago, I posted a YouTube link here to provide access to an online petition that Al Franken initiated. It had no affect on the FCC. We can only watch from the consumer's perspective now that these deals are done. 
I can only say Thank you Representative Franken for your attempts. 

DADT CLOTURE VOTE PASSED 63-33

Well, it happened. 

The last hurdle that blocked the repeal of DADT has been passed. After two votes in the House and two in the Senate, seventeen years of hiding while serving, and traitorous lobbying from unembarrassed hate groups, the Congress is set to repeal this ill advised compromise signed by President Clinton. 

I haven't the words to describe my disgust for McCain and the other 32 Senators who chose their darkest nature to oppose the repeal vote. I can see McCain railing against letting non-whites serve in the military all those years ago, claiming lives & limbs would be lost if we did so. No difference.
 

Does anyone feel there havent been enough discussions on this issue? Raise your hands....I thought so.
Republican lawmakers who will stop at nothing to stop this vote for Equality to Serve, actually claim they haven't talked about this enough. I'm sorry if you dropped your coffee cup when you read that.

With only the START treaty and First Responders Coverage on the horizon, the two years of Democratic dominance in both houses has been quite successful, with hundreds of significant changes to detrimental maneuvers during past administrations. There are websites devoted to the two year time-line of what the Democrats have fixed since taking control of DC. Reid and Pelosi have done phenomenally well considering the obstacles. 

With the vote to repeal DADT poised to succeed this Monday, we allow the Military to implement the changes according to their ability rather than through a court order. That would be an overnight change that our commanders really wanted to avoid. Will we see the rapid enlistment of new recruits? Will we see a drop in re-enlistment? Those two answers are hard to answer and might cancel each other out to show no change over all.
 
All I can say is this day has made an estimated 66,000 currently serving gay & lesbian service personnel breathe a little easier.

Update: Repeal vote passed with 65-31 rendering the discriminatory policy dead the minute President Obama signs it. Ding-Dong the wicked witch is dead!

EXTEND THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

THAT BUTCHERED HEALTHCARE BILL

Now that what's left of the HealthCare Reform Bill looks more like a public funded Insurance Industry bailout. I no-longer want to see the Senate Bill succeed. Not in Reed's imaginary pursuit of 60 votes anyway.

The more I gather, the avenue of reconciliation (the mere 51 votes) would yield enough of the Public Option or Medicare Buy-in to make the House and Senates efforts worth the wait. The lesser constrained voting construct of majority rules, would force the reconsideration in 5 years. I would expect that Senators Lieberman, Nelson and Casey will have lost Primary bids by then.

You all remember Richard Trumka? He's the head of the AFL-CIO and has been equally vocal on the need for a better version of reform. In his own way, he has solidified the movement to dismiss the Senate Insurance bailout version of the Bill when it's sent back to the House.

Trumka said in the Huffington Post; "If the Senate bill in its current form went to the House it would go down. The plan as it currently is would not get much support from the American worker unless it is improved. I can tell you that."

I had mentioned in a previous post that I had given up on the Public Option if there was a chance for the Medicare Buy-in. Now that neither are offered and the the mandate to purchase private insurance is still in the bill...dont bother.

As for Lieberman, I almost cant believe this is the same guy we put up as Vice President in 2000. What a schmuck! MoveOn.org has accumulated over $1 million toward his primary rival's campaign fund in only two days. They don't even have a name to throw in the ring yet. 56% of the donations are coming from Connecticut residents. Best of luck JOE.

I think the best commentary against the passing of the butchered bill is coming from progressive statesmen like Howard Dean. He's also calling for the death of the Senate Bill in it's current form and advocates passing the original through reconciliation like I had mentioned before.

Does anyone realize what a positive impact this would have on municipal budgets across the nation? The huge burden placed on our towns and cities in the way of health insurance would be greatly diminished and the taxpayers in each of those towns would see a drastic decrease in their property taxes the following year. Having been responsible for the purse strings of the City of Kingston for eight years, you can imagine my desire to see this happen.

With a lack of commitment from the President, this thing will either flounder until mid January or die a much needed death before then. I cant express my disappointment in words. What you see coming out of DC today, better not be the end result. If so, I would call for the head of Harry Reed.

Note: If this bill passes as it is, Harry Reid gets a well paid job in 2011 lobbying for the Insurance industry. Mark my words.

CONSUMER PROTECTION SURVIVES HOUSE VOTE

If the Financial Reform Bill that just passed the House, survives the Senate process, we will see some serious changes in the way Wall Street firms invest and frankly, risk their investors money. The range of problems that threaten the solvency of our larger firms is so complex, that administration's plan for financial reform mirrors that complexity.

Looking at numerous accounts of what the bill does, I conclude the package includes everything from rules to rein in dangerous financial derivatives to a new process for coping with the collapse of large financial institutions without taxpayer-funded bailouts. One comment I see everywhere is: There will no longer be companies deemed "too big to fail." Remember that one?

Enter...the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). This oversight group would focus on protecting consumers from dangerous financial risks. I see there are numerous accounts that such an agency would have diverted the financial disaster that hit us in 2008/2009. Including the rates associated with your credit cards and mortgages.

The bill, which passed 223-202, forces the large firms to pay a total of as much as $150 billion into an emergency fund that could be tapped when a troubled company needs to be taken over and broken up. Again; I see the term "Capital Cushion" used in several reports.

Rep Barney Frank has been the main drive behind these overdue changes. They're not some small nips at the corners either. This is big and will take time for the industry to get used to. It will also take time for the industry to find ways of raping the middle class again, so our Congressional leaders will have to stay on top of this.

While on CNN, Barney Frank said "The bailouts of AIG and Bear Stearns wouldn't be possible, rather they'd be illegal, under this bill, if a company fails, it'll be put to death."

Although our tax dollars were put at risk when Pres. Bush & Obama bailed out these large firms, most have survived, and even have paid back their loans. The money coming back is the subject of more debate regarding the choice between reinvesting in small business or to pay down the debt, but I'll leave that to the cable news pundits.

Obama said this comprehensive reform will create clearer rules of the road. With proper enforcement of those rules, consumers and investors have a fighting chance as our economy gets back on it's feet.

Regarding the House vote; the Republicans indicated they liked the system as it stands. Our Representatives Hinchey, Hall and Murphy all voted in favor of change.

* I stole a list below from the POLITICO website with further descriptions pertaining to the Bill...

Federal Reserve: The bill would allow Congress to order the Government Accountability Office to audit Fed activities, which the Fed says would interfere with the central bank's ability to carry out independent monetary policy.

Derivatives: The bill attempts to shine a brighter light on some of the different kinds of complex financial products, called derivatives, that are blamed for bringing down financial companies such as American International Group (AIG, Fortune 500) and Lehman Brothers. It would pass some of these derivatives on to clearinghouses, which would help pinpoint the value of such trades. However, some derivatives would still be unregulated, including those traded by big agricultural and airline companies to mitigate risk.

Oversight: It creates a new oversight council that would look out for major problems at large financial firms, giving the Federal Reserve a key role in enforcing tougher regulations on larger firms.

Breaking up: It would also give regulators new powers to break up companies that have grown too big, if they threaten to destabilize the financial system.

Executive Compensation: It would give shareholders the right to a nonbinding proxy vote on corporate pay packages.

One thing I didnt see online, but heard on AC360 is that it would also redirect another $1 billion of bailout money into federal neighborhood stabilization programs to redevelop abandoned or foreclosed homes. I don't know if that money will ever see action in Ulster County, but it could stave off further neighborhood decay if it did.

THE SPECTER OF CHANGE

Ok, so the big news of the day is the defection of Arlen Specter from Republican to Dem. The news media, Email alerts and even the world of Twitter went wild this afternoon with the shocking news.

Actually it wasn't so shocking. Arlen's votes and opinions, moderate by default, made running Democrats against him very difficult and very expensive. His independent philosophy onn most national issues kept the electorate in Pennsylvania very comfortable with him as Senator.

So what does this mean? Well, this isn't the first place you've heard about the switch. What do you think? Are more moderate Republicans going to follow his lead?

I hate to pick on the party as a monolithic throwback to the days before the civil rights movement simply because I have republican friends and family. It's tough to have the normal dinner table conversation when the leaders of the Republican party are, well, who they are.

Most agree, that the Democratic majority doesn't really know what his new "D" label will mean to the movement on healthcare, energy, education and fixing this struggling economy. My thoughts...

Arlen Specter will vote like Arlen Specter. With hardly a kind word for either of the two party leaders, his switch to Dem has more to say about how mad he is about the small tent platform that he and his former comrades were forced to embrace. Just look to their leadership to see where the Republican Party is going.

The two party system provides a "checks & balances" to the workings of government, so it worries me that one group dominates the conversation. But at the same time, I smile at the thought that the years of angry conservative rhetoric has finally cornered itself into such a small corner. As if the American public have gotten past the bedroom issues of diviciveness and see that we are all one American family.

I understand Olympia Snowe of Maine is scheduling a private meeting with Prez Obama. Is it something her electorate said?

SCOTT MURPHY FOR CONGRESS

Hunter Mountain, like so many other ski resorts, is impressive in any season. Early spring is no exception.

This past Saturday, after an afternoon of canvassing for Scott Murphy in Catskill, my friend Amee Peterson and I were invited to attend the "Meet Scott Murphy" event at the base lodge. The gorgeous setting was appropriate.

It was one of those rare moments when timing worked in our favor. A number of key guests were there as well as plenty of familiar faces from Ulster County and Kingston. We had joined what was considered a regional movement toward economical stewardship through the potential leadership of Scott Murphy.

Before 100+ attendees, Scott demonstrated how his meteoric rise in popularity took hold. His charisma, grasp of the issues and charming good looks have made this long shot seem inevitable.

Sure, I've followed the feeble attempt to link Scott with AIG bonuses and "All things depressing in NY" during the campaign, but when you meet the real deal in person...All of the negative rhetoric washes away.

Amee had his ear for quite a while after the speaking session and I just know Scott is aware of what she thinks of his opponent. I had to shake my head and smile while the immediate crowd nodded in agreement as she spoke. Funny stuff.

This special election has captured the attention of the nation. The values of the electorate in the 20th Congressional district are going to provide a platform for the election season to come. With a 2 to 1 Republican registry in the 20th district, the numbers were expected to be something other than 50/50.

March 31st is closer than you think, and yet this will feel like the longest yard. Why all the effort? Having someone help Maurice Hinchey, and John Hall in Congress is a worthy goal. There's comfort in knowing that Amee and I are not alone.

The district includes Delaware, Greene, Columbia and the northern half of Dutchess Counties. It also extends north-west of Albany.

BURRIS IS AN EMBARRASMENT

I managed to get through most of the Blago scandal without wasting any space on the Blog. However...

This gross display of negligence on the part of our Senatorial Review team and the appointment of Roland Burris from Illinois, has me pissed. Why?

There are too many issues for our representative in DC to be focused on, rather than the back room dealings between the Governor and the open Senate seat. We are finding out more about Burris as the weeks go by and as the number of interviews increase, so do the number of flaws in his testimony before the panel.

The recently appointed senator from Illinois, Roland Burris, asked us to look beyond the Blagojevich scandal and judge him independently. Many people did. Turns out we probably shouldn't have.

The Democratic Majority pushed this process along in the hopes of putting this whole mess behind them, but it's not going away. It's no-ones fault but their own.

Like many of us in the Hudson Valley, we only get to see what's on TV or through a web search. I don't like anything I've discovered about the man. The amount of time they spend on this crap does nothing for the economy or my wallet.

Right now, Burris is a distraction and an embarrasment to the new leadership. Commits purgery during every speech! You've got to realize he has no business being in this position.

Get with it people. You've got control of all three branches of Government, a chance to do the people's business as you've been ordered, and you're going to piss it all away through scandals!

Will they ever learn?

CORPORATE BAILOUT INFURIATES AMERICANS

We all got to hear President Obama's comments regarding the CEOs of the companies we are bailing out, getting millions in bonuses. Well here is a new item to piss everyone off even more.

Citigroup is in contract to the naming rights of the new New York Mets ballpark, to the amount of $400 Million. This was one of the first companies to get in line when President Bush wrote the first check.

According to the AP: Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Ted Poe sent a letter to new Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday, urging the government to demand that the company drop the agreement. If you think about it logically, you'd have to agree with them.

Kucinich was quoted: "At Citigroup, 50,000 people will lose their jobs. Yet in the boardroom of Citigroup, spending $400 million to put a name on stadium seems like a good idea. The Treasury Department, which forced Citigroup corporate executives to give up their private jet, should also demand that Citigroup cancel its $400 million advertisement at the Mets field and instead begin to repay their debt to the taxpayers.”

Citigroup reached its agreement with the Mets three years ago. It is among several American banks that have received financial assistance from the federal government in recent months.

Poe, a Texas Republican, said: “While average Americans are hunkering down worried about their jobs, food, clothes, and mortgage payments, these irresponsible executives are blowing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.”

The comments Thursday from Obama on the CEOBonus issue, should give the American public some reassurance that the second half of the stimulus package will be watched more closely for continued abuse.

Every dollar Citigroup and the other corporate monsters are forced to return will be that much more availible for infrastructure repairs throughout the country. Lets see if the Congress and President will actually back these strong words of constraint with action.

Should we pester our Reps Maurice Hinchey and John Hall to add thier support for the Citigroup refund?

SEND KARL ROVE TO JAIL

There has been a relentless push for Congress to have hearings regarding the actions of Karl Rove. The man who preferred the political shadows has become an icon for those who long for a legislative enema in DC.

With the House Judiciary Committee holding hearings Wednesday through Friday on the Bush administration’s use of executive privilege, public pressure is building to urge the committee to jail Karl Rove, the Bush White House political maestro.

A coalition of organizations gathered more than 125,000 signatures on a petition calling on the committee to hold Rove in contempt for his refusal to obey its subpoena. This current surge in support and subsequent press have caused even more progressive groups to get involved, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, The Nation, Campaign for America's Future, Progress Now, and People for the American Way.

Linda Sanchez (D-CA), who sits on the Judiciary, was impressed by the sheer number of signatures. "I think it's ridiculous that Karl Rove thinks that he doesn't have to follow the law," Sanchez said. "And nobody in this country should be above the law."

Anyone watching cable news and following political Blogs over the last 7 years are familiar with the slimy tactics that Rove & Company have used against their opponents. What isn’t known is the extent that corruption has played in every campaign for decades. Rove has mastered the art of slime.

So here’s the question; What do you think Democrats on the hill will do now that there’s a public movement to take action? We all accept that Rove is the worst kind of weasel out there. His contempt is amplified because no one has the balls to take him down in the court of law, and he knows it, which fuels his arrogance.

But, he has enough dirty laundry on our legislators to scare them into silence. DC is awash with special interest money that never has a problem finding a deep pocket and many of those pockets are located on both sides of the aisle. Besides, what if the hearings lead to his indictment, the President will just let him off the hook. We’ve seen it before. The rich and the powerful never get justice served to them.

You do have the opportunity to take part in the effort to hold Rove accountable. The campaign to Send Karl Rove to Jail is easy to access and like I said before, it has picked up momentum. Check out the website, get a refresher course on the mounting evidence against him and pass on the link.

Town Boards and City Councils from coast to coast work their tails off at the municipal level, gathering financial scraps to keep their perspective townships in the black, only to have the mucky-mucks in Washington drag us down image-wise.

I have my doubts that you’ll ever see Rove in jail. The process is political. Every politician has something that can bring them down in Washington. And most people aren't willing to risk it all for an ideal concept in a town where the gutter is as high as it gets.

13th CONGRESSIONAL SEAT LOOKS BLUE

The US Congress is about to get a new face from New York, well after this year’s general election anyway. It seems Vito Fossella of Staten Island has been arrested in Alexandria, Virginia for DWI.

Virginia is very strict when it comes to driving under the influence, including severe punishments for anyone prosecuted on those charges. So of course Fossella's office issued the following statement:

“Last night I made an error in judgment. As a parent, I know that taking even one drink of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car is wrong. I apologize to my family and the constituents of the 13th Congressional District for embarrassing them, as well as myself.”

As we had discussed in many instances, elected officials need to be held to a higher standard. We expect a role model from those who write the laws. You would think Vito would be conscious of this fact. But those who know him in the press seem to think he’s a bit of a live wire.

Fossella is facing a serious challenge this year with Steve Harrison closing in fast. His margins of victory get smaller and smaller each election, and this year the DCCC will probably fund his opponent. It makes you wonder whether he really wants the job any more.

Reports claim that his BAL was twice the legal limit when he was pulled over. Twice! If he only had one drink, it must have been mighty stiff.

Vito climbed the ranks from SI Councilman to Congressman very quickly with the help of Staten Island’s Borough President James Molinaro, who happened to be the former Congressman of the 13th. (Pictured left)

With plenty of money and powerful friends, you can do just about anything. So long as you don’t party too hard in Virginia. Wonder if the influence of his friends will help in VA?

I think we will all watch the race for that seat this year. It should be fun.