Battle Lines 2005: 'Giving Away the Store'

Bunnie Riedel believes that community taxes would be lower if the FCC and Congress would stop stealing money from local governments. It’s not just that local governments are losing an estimated $500 million a year in uncollected cable modem fees, Bunnie writes, it’s the fact that amount will grow exponentially if a Bell-friendly bill introduced by Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Rich Boucher (D-Va.) is approved. According to Multichannel News, “under Stearns-Boucher, neither the FCC nor the state would be permitted to regulate the entry or exit of ‘advanced Internet communications-service’ providers or to impose rates, terms and conditions on the services offered.” Related post. Related story at MediaChannel.