 
Matt
Running Free
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
 ·Corporate Colocation
| Oh .... my .... said by Political Hack :
But please, don't draw any conclusions. "There is no connection between political spending and the policy work that gets done in the state Legislature," Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler insists.
You have got to be kidding me. Does he really think we're THAT stupid?
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Use the OS tool for the job. | |
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BuriedCaesar
It's Not Polite To Stare.
join:2004-03-27
Richardson, TX | Re: Oh .... my .... Sadly, he's probably able to say it quite easily with a straight face... (and sleep at night, too). | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: Oh .... my .... on a pillow and mattress stuffed with campaign 'favors'  | |
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jslik
That just happened
Premium
join:2006-03-17
clubs:
| said by Matt  : You have got to be kidding me. Does he really think we're THAT stupid? Another good question would be "If there is no connection, then why did they spend all that money?" | |
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John T
@northgrum.com
| Re: Oh .... my .... Yes, there's absolutely a connection.
The only thing to really wonder in cases like this is which way the power runs. Sometimes it looks like corporations bribing politicians. Sometimes corporations feel like they have to pay because "everybody else does it." Sometimes the politicians basically go around soliciting the money.
So long as a handful of politicians make so important decisions that affects millions or billions of dollars, there will be tremendous incentive to affect their decisions, and tremendous opportunity for selling of votes. | |
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| Admj
join:2001-01-17
Placentia, CA
| A spokesman for Nunez, the bill's author, disputed that the money and freebies given by the telephone companies helped sway lawmakers' decisions.
"There is no connection between political spending and the policy work that gets done in the state Legislature," Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler said.
Yeah... Right! 
They were bought outright... Tickets anyone? | |
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| | dynodb
Premium,VIP
join:2004-04-21
Minneapolis, MN
| Re: Oh .... my .... I'm not defending the ethics of gift giving to lawmakers (or their staffers), but I find it hard to believe that $300 in free tickets or picking up the dinner tab a couple times is going to change someone's vote; the vote passed what- 64 to 8? I don't agree with the practice, but it seems unlikely the small gifts affected the outcome of the vote.
As for the $20 million, yes it's a lot of money, but it appears that the bulk of it was for advertising; I see nothing wrong with them trying to make their case to the public with TV ads.
It's unfortunate that it takes campaign contributions to get the attention of lawmakers, but that's the way it is and I really can't fault AT&T for writing the checks. | |
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| | | krayzie bone
join:2006-09-03
Marietta, GA | Re: Oh .... my .... Well, I guess you'll be surprised the things people do, foe the love of tha money. Plus, I'm sure there are a lot of other "favors" that we don't know about, like the one favor that gets deposited in your account... | |
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BIGMIKE
"I do not know with what weapons World W
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Westminster, CA
| said by Matt : said by Political Hack :
But please, don't draw any conclusions. "There is no connection between political spending and the policy work that gets done in the state Legislature," Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler insists.
You have got to be kidding me. Does he really think we're THAT stupid? YES
20/20 Stupid in America
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA
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BloodRoses
The Purple Faerie
Premium
join:2003-03-17
 ·Cox HSI
| Re: Oh .... my .... Thank you for posting that, I don't normally watch TV so I haven't seen it before, but I have always had a low opinion of our public education. I even sent this to a few friends. 
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batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ
clubs:
·Verizon Online DSL
| said by BIGMIKE :said by Matt : said by Political Hack :
But please, don't draw any conclusions. "There is no connection between political spending and the policy work that gets done in the state Legislature," Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler insists.
You have got to be kidding me. Does he really think we're THAT stupid? YES 20/20 Stupid in America »www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA You people are watching TV over a wire and not paying any money to the local government. No wonder they can't teach the children. | |
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xerxes3642
join:2006-02-24
Saint Charles, MO
·Charter Pipeline
| He doesn't think we're that stupid.... He knows:
1. Most voters don't know what we're talking about
2. Most voters don't know any implications from this
3. Most people don't vote
4. Anyone who does care is powerless
5. If any controversy comes of this, it will be forgotton by election time
6. They don't care what you think anyway | |
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mmickk
join:2003-12-30
Pearland, TX
| Re: Oh .... my .... 3. Most people don't vote
What would it matter if everyone voted? These politicians would still be for hire to the highest bidder! We would get the same results. A vote means nothing as long as politicians are the ones making the laws, especially when they will not pass laws that would not allow this type of thing.
As long as politicians can block laws from passing that would criminalize their actions than we get what we vote for. Corrupt government. | |
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| Jonbo298
join:2004-01-12
Council Bluffs, IA
| Saying it in a press release makes it easier to sleep at night with. Because you don't have to listen to the backlash, unlike doing it on TV and then having people at your front steps backlashing and you have to listen to it.
The life of politics, corrupt by your 'favorite' businesses and other scum | |
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js1
@swbell.net
| To really solve the problem, I think we'd need publicly financed elections. Although there's no excuse for a politician doing something unethical for money, the fact is most politicians aren't rich and it take a lot of money to run a campaign and get elected.
The system would have to be redesigned so they don't need private money to stay in office, so they'd be judged on their ideas and policy rather than how much advertising time they could purchase. This would cost money, however unlike many other government initiatives this would be worthwhile. If politicians were elected because of their ideas not money, and lobbyists couldn't operate like they do now, the cost would soon more than pay for itself. For example we wouldn't have $80 billion going to the oil industry like we do now and all this taxpayer money being spent to benefit a few wealthy people rather than the public. | |
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phxmark
What Country Are We Living In?
join:2000-12-27
Glendale, AZ | Spend money on... ...updating the infrastructure instead of trying to change the laws!
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High speed is dangerous. Too many MP3s, not enough time. | |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey | typical of today This is so typical of people today, its much more important to fight an argument, rather then just to deliver something. Even if its easier. | |
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batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ
clubs: | So what else is new? It is called lobbing and it goes on for all special interest groups with money. | |
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thongsai
join:2002-07-04
Santa Rosa, CA | Re: So what else is new? yep lobbing is a legal way of bribing.. a voting commitee can be bought, just requires more money. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: So what else is new? Technically lobbing is a half-assed throw. | |
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jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI | Cable Co Telecom Franchises I don't remember, did the cable co's have to get franchises town by town to sell telecom services over their existing plant? Or did they have statewide agreements? | |
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Matt
Running Free
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
·Corporate Colocation
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises said by jtel :I don't remember, did the cable co's have to get franchises town by town to sell telecom services over their existing plant? Or did they have statewide agreements? Time Warner had to register as a CLEC in North Carolina to offer digital phone. Just like anyone else who wanted to offer phone service would have to, which held them to much the same standards as the ILEC's in regards to service delivery and availability.
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| | jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI
·Cox HSI
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises "Time Warner had to register as a CLEC in North Carolina to offer digital phone."
But AT&T will be expected to broker hundreds of separate agreements to compete against Time Warner et all in the same market area? My heart's not bleeding for At&T but that is quite a contrast. | |
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Matt
Running Free
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
·Corporate Colocation
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises said by jtel :"Time Warner had to register as a CLEC in North Carolina to offer digital phone." But AT&T will be expected to broker hundreds of separate agreements to compete against Time Warner et all in the same market area? My heart's not bleeding for At&T but that is quite a contrast. Time Warner had to broker those same deals for video franchise agreements. Why shouldn't AT&T?
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| | | | jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI
·Cox HSI
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises AT&T should have to match Timer Warner agreements such as percentage of revenue to local government. The standard has been set by the original agreements just as they were prior to Timer Warner's telco application(s). I just think it should be cut and dry even if it is locale by locale. | |
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join:2005-06-24 | Ok...so lets level the playing field and have The cable companies be regulated like the phone companies, and open up their coax lines for other cable providers... | |
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| | | | | jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI
·Cox HSI
edit:
February 1st, @03:50PM
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises I could be wrong on this but at some point AT&T, Verizon, the power companies etc had to negotiate with each local community for the rights to place the millions of telephone/utility poles in place. That was many decades before cable tv existed.
How many telephone poles do the cable co's own? | |
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| | | | | | jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI | Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises Don't they just do that with Earthlink? I thought that was a negotiated situation not a mandate. Is it a mandate? | |
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Matt
Running Free
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..
·Corporate Colocation
| Re: Cable Co Telecom Franchises said by jtel :Don't they just do that with Earthlink? I thought that was a negotiated situation not a mandate. Is it a mandate? A company called inter.net also.
It was a condition of the merger.
The point is, everyone has rules to follow, but the Telcos again want the federal government to legislate their business practices instead of following the same rules everyone else has to follow.
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | I don't want to hear whinning about needing to charge Google et al so they can increase bandwidth when they spend MILLIONS and MILLIONS of $$$ on lobbying. If they didn't lobby they have the money to make improvements. Reminds me of smokers who also get food stamps. | |
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| lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
| Your comment reminds me of the anti tobacco Nazi's who are perfectly content to set in traffic and suck down automobile exhaust for hours and yet so intolerant of the poor guy forced to stand outside, in the back of a building, to feed a habit.
That said, yesterday I witnessed an individual at a grocery store attempting to buy cigarettes with his public assistance debit card (replaced the actual food stamps). The cash register would not allow the transaction, the guy left without his smokes. | |
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Rob
In Deo speramus
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: I don't want to hear said by lesopp :. That said, yesterday I witnessed an individual at a grocery store attempting to buy cigarettes with his public assistance debit card (replaced the actual food stamps). The cash register would not allow the transaction, the guy left without his smokes. And that is a problem? Did he buy milk? Bread? How about diapers for his kids? 
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YourIP.US - It's Your IP .. and more!
rr.cx - Personal Site.. coming soon. | |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
| Can't Blame any Company for Lobbying The way government at all levels chooses to involve itself in the day-to-day functions of just about every private business, to the point at which some people would say the government is now the "most senior partner" in every business now, then what other recourse do businesses have than to lobby the government to protect their own interests?
Back in the early 1990s, Microsoft actively tried to avoid involving itself in political activities. However, Sun Microsystems, Apple and Oracle all lobbied the Federal government to prosecute Microsoft for monopolistic activity. Microsoft then spent a fair amount of money during that time to defend itself, so much so that in order to find itself any relief from this government action, they end up lobbying the 2000 George W. Bush campaign to solve the problem.
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See 7 replies to this post |
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John T
@northgrum.com
| Of course, since lobbying is inevitable... we might as well ask what the best policy is, since I'm sure that the cable companies were lobbying on the other side to make it harder for the telcos to offer TV. I don't trust any of them, but in general (devil's in the details, of course) I favor more companies being able to offer TV. | |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Levittown, PA | Lobby Lobby Lobby on the table table table You WILL like it, like it, like it,
if you're able able able...
I need to start a non-profit lobby consortium in the name of the 'mercan Consumerista! | |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| No connection But please, don't draw any conclusions. "There is no connection between political spending and the policy work that gets done in the state Legislature," Nunez spokesman Richard Stapler insists.
Richard Stapler went on to offer to sell any interested party a bridge located in Brooklyn real cheap if they would give him their bank account information so he could move some money out of from Nigeria . | |
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TechieZero
Tools Are Using Me
Premium
join:2002-01-25
Wesley Chapel, FL | I don't get it Did they break any laws? | |
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Rob
In Deo speramus
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: I don't get it said by TechieZero :Did they break any laws? Do you want a politician who can be influenced by money? I surely don't.
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YourIP.US - It's Your IP .. and more!
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TechieZero
Tools Are Using Me
Premium
join:2002-01-25
Wesley Chapel, FL
| Re: I don't get it We expect two things from a politicians that set them up and ourselves for failure. We expect them lead chaste lives and we expect them to be incorruptable. When that doesn't happen we smack our heads and yell Why?!? Why?!?
If these guys are taking money under the table illegaly, then crucify them. If they are obeying the law then this point is moot. | |
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GhostDoggy
join:2005-05-11
Duluth, GA
| California: The You can Buy Me Too state. Its a popular method for solving one's financial woes. Simply get yourself into a techy position within a good sized state and wait for the bribes (ahem, lobbying) to begin to entice you.
Heck, Washington, D.C. was doing this for decades. Like law suits, lobby is the other American way. Anyone want to make me an offer I can't refuse? | |
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The Best Laws Telco Money Can Buy
