gheezer
Compooters R Us
Premium
join:2002-12-20
Henrietta, NY
| Local cable franchise agreements SHOULD be eliminated.
And the Cable company told, in no uncertain terms, they MUST not absorb the franchise payments as revenue, it MUST be returned to the subscriber in the form of lower monthly bills.
Local Franchise agreements are an anachronism, and contribute to the "Monopoly" the cable company maintains locally.
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Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:
1 edit | Hey!
I have been called this. Where is our best buddy Poobah, he will tell you how much we AstroTurf and that we are "paid shills" just like he did, again, in another topic.  |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
|  What about the anti-corporate astroturfers?
What about the anti-corporate astroturfers?
Common Cause lists "astroturfers" who are organizations backed by corporate money that they say lobbies deceptively for corporate interests.
But I don't see them worried about all the left wing organizations funded by George Soros and the Hollywood lefties and their ilk with deceptive names pushing an anti-corporate agenda at every opportunity. Those organizations are no more "grass roots" than those they accuse.
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| I think you're confusing 527 partisan smear-combat with this issue.
This issue isn't about partisan politics, it's about honest discourse and misleading the public.
There are no consumer groups dressing up as incumbents, pretending to foist a point-of-view upon the public that isn't genuine. |
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rawgerz
In Debt we trust
Premium
join:2004-10-03
Grove City, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| ASTROTURF
»www.newnetworks.com/skunkworks101.html
quote:
"Are any of these names familiar to you: TRAC, APT, Issue Dynamics, USIIA, New Millennium Research Council, BellSouth, Verizon, SBC, Pac Bell, United Church of Christ, USTA? - Washington is filled with astroturf groups that keep telling everyone they represent the public interest, but in reality represent the phone companies who pay them well. And Issue Dynamics, run by Sam Simon, has organized multiple groups for the Bell phone companies, all tax exempt, and all in an attempt to make regulators and the press believe that they have your best interests in mind."
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cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD
 ·VoicePulse for Bus..
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·Future Nine Corpor..
·VoiceStick
·Packet8
| What about truth in advertising?
When I opened The Washington Post this morning I was greeted by a flashing ad for Broadband Everywhere.
»www.broadbandeverywhere.com/home/index.ashx
»www.broadbandeverywhere.com/Home···ads.ashx
Advertising on the Post webpage, slick TV ads ... looks grass roots to me.
They want the "Phoneys" to stop looking for sweetheart deals and get out in the marketplace and compete. Of course this means compete for each local franchise.
The truth should see a real bashing as this battle play out. We all know how both only have their customer's interest at heart. Enjoy the show. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
1 edit | quote:
Broadband Everywhere's founding organizations are the American Cable Association and nearly 15 small cable operators, the Hispanic Federation, the National Congress of Black Women, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
I think one of the most insidious things is how these PR groups hijack minority or elderly groups to try and sound legitimate as they push agendas that usually don't even remotely benefit said groups.
One of my favorites is the "Keep USF Fair Alliance", which litters the site with images of handicapped individuals and minorities. In reality, these groups have been hi-jacked and co-opted by PR outfits like Issue Dynamics, who have been hired to shape public opinion.
See more:
»voip.weblogsinc.com/2005/11/17/a···service/ |
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Admj
join:2001-01-17
Placentia, CA |  reply to gheezer
Re: Local cable franchise agreements SHOULD be eliminated.
 Maybe the people making the laws should be doing research to make a better choice before they actually vote on making laws and protect the ones that put them in office... |
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Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL | reply to rawgerz
Re: ASTROTURF
"TRAC, APT, Issue Dynamics, USIIA, New Millennium Research Council, BellSouth, Verizon, SBC, Pac Bell, United Church of Christ, USTA?"
Jesus is in this too? god is gonna give you a spanking! |
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PhoenixDown
-- Wants FIOS
Premium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
clubs:  | Campain finance law for telecom
Maybe there should be rules governing how these companies can "advertise" |
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FiL
Premium
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD
| really though...
as a minority (though were taking it BACK one by one! aint nothing y'all can do to stop it!!!)
Latino, I find it appalling that these days, grassroots is synonymous with minority groups and/or groups that have the community in mind when making decisions. As the read points out, the state of grassroots has gotten tons of fertilizer from big business, and is in jeopardy of losing the "roots" part all together. Placing a minority next to you is sure to have that "effect" you want it to have; connecting you with some kind of "love" you've got for that "other" race. Nothing surprising in this, been happening for 100 years in US politricks. Look at Condi Rice! Uncle Tom to the friggin' FULLEST! Someone with true intentions of helping their own people would never do and say the things that come out her dirty lil mouth. I pray she the press was on CRACK when they touched on her having a possible OUT from her current role in the merry go round. I can tell you from a quick office poll of half minorities, half white guys, that the minorities would hate having her as the Commish of NFL cuz that'd mean the end of the Black Monopoly of Sports! haha, shame how some of us lose the ROOTS part of the argument all because of a lil money being flashed around.
Politricks in my op. will always being FILLED TO THE BRIM with garbage espionage/counter-espionage tactics such as these. But the cycle continues, everyone's at fault in this huge ass Sodom an Gomorrah planet we call Earth. The Jews killed Christ, some argue the Holocaust was the price. Slavery decimated black life in America, some argue Kings in Africa who were the first to trade humans as the cause; the Christians killed Muslims left and right during the Crusades, some argue Modern Day Jihad and 9.11 was the result. One Big Ass Merry Go Round.
Wouldn't see why the Telcos would OPT out on the ride. And a helluva ride it is unfortunate... |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey | reply to gheezer
Re: Local cable franchise agreements SHOULD be eliminated.
Thats stupid , why would want to give away the only clout the consumer have against corporations such as comcast, and verizon ?
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Vonage--No annual contract really means 13 month commitment. |
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major marco
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA
clubs:
1 edit | reply to Admj
said by Admj  : Maybe the people making the laws should be doing research to make a better choice before they actually vote on making laws and protect the ones that put them in office... The same professional grifters on the take couldn't even be bothered to read the most draconian, civil rights voiding legislation in the country's entire history before they signed it and you want them to research piddling cable issues before they make it a law? OMFG. Now that's some funny ass shit. Get real. Informed opinions aren't how it works in this country, particularly as it relates to consumers. The name of the game is money. We have the best government that money can buy.
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pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs: | I think it's hilarious that you have a mywireless.org site in your signature. LOL |
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toadlife
Premium
join:2004-05-03
Lemoore, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
| said by pcscdma :I think it's hilarious that you have a mywireless.org site in your signature. LOL Let me guess - an astro-turfing site? 
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Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
| reply to Cheese
Re: Hey!
said by Cheese :I have been called this. Where is our best buddy Poobah, he will tell you how much we AstroTurf and that we are "paid shills" just like he did, again, in another topic. All you have to do is confront him with conscious thought a couple times and he puts you on his ignore list. Then you can refute his borrowed opinions and he won't say a word.
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Cheese
Premium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
clubs:
| said by Combat Chuck :said by Cheese :I have been called this. Where is our best buddy Poobah, he will tell you how much we AstroTurf and that we are "paid shills" just like he did, again, in another topic. All you have to do is confront him with conscious thought a couple times and he puts you on his ignore list. Then you can refute his borrowed opinions and he won't say a word. Damn, I have done that already several times. No ignore yet  |
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LegoPower77
Abecedarian
Premium
join:2002-08-03
Arlington, VA
| Consider the source
Oh please, like we're supposed just blithely trust what Common Cause, Defenders of the Wildlife, and Mother Jones have to say.
I suppose it's easy to dismiss the other side's argument by branding it a corporate concoction as if there's no legitimate side to the "deregulatory, market-based approach" of the eeevil PFF.
It's like the current debate over illegal immigration, opponents are simply branded racists and so there is no need to consider their position. It's an effective way to win the debate (unfortunately), but not very gutsy. Why doesn't Common Cause put out a report detailing how socialism will supply everyone's communication needs? Like most democrats, they offer no solution, just attack the other side's integrity.
Conveniently, Common Cause is a 501(c)(4) so their donor list can be kept secret, but I often see them working hand-in-hand with Americans Coming Together. The latter is heavily funded by anti-American socialist George Soros as well as the Service Employees' Union (more socialists), so I'm gonna have to call a guilty-by-association here.
It's reporting like this that keeps me from taking any non-technical news here at BBR seriously.
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It's right, it's free. |
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ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN | Ok now it is starting
Exposure is key. Thank you for this list. It is often difficult to track the money flow from the bigboys to the puppets they use. It's like laser designating a target. |
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wierdo
join:2001-02-16
Tulsa, OK | franchise agreements
FWIW, it's rare that a municipal franchise agreement is exclusive. IOW, it doesn't keep anyone out of anywhere. |
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