Kerry: Comcast packed FCC Net Neutrality meeting w/paid seatfillers to reduce public voices

[blm]

Make some noise, DU.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-kerry/they-took-your-seat_b_89032.html#postComment

They Took Your Seat!

On Monday this week, at Harvard, the FCC held a meeting on Comcast and Net Neutrality, a chance for the public to air its views over the issues.


Turns out a not so funny little thing happened on the way to the forum: Comcast tried to pack the meeting, going so far as paying people to come in and take up the spaces that could have been filled by concerned members of the public.

How big are the stakes in the so-called network neutrality debate now raging before Congress and federal regulators?


Consider this: One side in the debate actually went to the trouble of hiring people off the street to pack a Federal Communications Commission meeting yesterday--and effectively keep some of its opponents out of the room.

Broadband giant Comcast--the subject of the F.C.C. hearing on network neutrality at the Harvard Law School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts--acknowledged that it did exactly that.

Trying to lock out the public is a great example of why we need net neutrality. If the other side will use their money to restrict public access to a public meeting, how can we feel confident they won't use their power to restrict voices in the virtual world?

>>>>>>>

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. GodDAMMIT I hate these people.

None of these pricks can compete on an even playing field so they always just buy the field and change the rules. And they dare call that 'free market.'

[blm]

7. They've been doing it BLATANTLY since they first started buying up all newsmedia in 80s and 90s

They knew they could control perception, the WH and the congress by controlling what the public learns about its government.

[Breeze54]

2. I was invited to that meeting but I couldn't go....

But this is why I boycott comcast cable and satellite tv services.

Comcast are assholes for doing that!! :grr:

[Ian David]

4. Unfortunately, every other company offering similar services are also fucking assholes, too. n/t

[Breeze54]

18. I know....the major one's are anyway... my brother told me

about a company that he says is pretty good...and not jerks like Verizon, Comcast or DTV.

I thought they had satellite TV too but looks like I might be mistaken.

Galaxy Internet Services
http://www.gis.net/

Our Residential DSL features:

* Free Activation
* Free DSL Modem*
* Unlimited, Always-On High Speed Internet Service
* 2X T1 Download Speeds of Up to 3.0Mbps
* Free Domain Hosting Services
o Have your own website address, www.yourname.com
o Get [e-mail]
o We support all top level domains, .com, .org, .net, .name, .us, etc.
* 7 Email Boxes
* 20 MB of Web Space
* Dial-Up Account with 20 Free Hours - for Travel or Backup
* Free Pop-Up Blocker Professional
* SPAM Filtering
* Unlimited, Free Technical Support

Available in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, & Rhode Island

Residential DSL
Unlimited High Speed Internet!
Starting at $19.95 per month!

Broadband Phone
Unlimited VOIP Calling!
Starting at $19.95 per month!

Residential Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Internet Access

Residential Dialup
Starting at $11.95 per month!

[blm]

19. Will they be going into other markets at some point?

.

[Ian David]

3. Fucking Comcast. n/t

[orleans]

5. ah, cable tv, internet connection, telephone

i'm so glad to know all the money i'm paying them is being well spent!


:sarcasm:

[blm]

11. That's the insult on top of injury.

.

[orleans]

13. yep. (and to think at&t was pissing me off...!) n/t

[jojo54]

6. Fuckers!!!!

I really hate to use that word and refrain 90% of the time, but I can't stand Comcast. I had written to them once, telling them how their service sucks and that their CEO and Board of Directors should get their heads out of their asses and start listening to their customers. Wishful thinking. :sarcasm:

[blm]

8. We need MORE lawmakers on this issue. Didn't Pete Daou claim he was working for HRC mainly

to assure net neutrality was made a priority issue for her as a SENATOR?

[madrchsod]

9. from boing boing links

http://www.getmiro.com/blog/2008/02/comcast-secretly-pays-people-to-fill-seats-at-fcc-hearing/
Miro - Internet TV Blog » Blog Archive » Comcast Secretly Pays People to Fill Seats at FCC Hearing



http://www.boingboing.net/2008/02/27/fcc-may-doover-comca.html
FCC may do-over Comcast Net Neutrality hearing due to presence of paid Comcastards - Boing Boing

[blm]

10. We certainly aren't hearing about this from mainstream newsmedia, are we?

.

[karynnj]

12. K & R

Very nice Kerry work

[slipslidingaway]

14. Thanks K&R n/t

[blondeatlast]

15. This lowdown tactic will be coming to a city council meeting near you.

Be aware and get it out there--on the internets!

:mad:

Thank you, senator Kerry, yet again.

K&R.

[blm]

16. Taking control of local governments and school boards helped GOP gain power in the 80s and 90s

and I expect they will be looking to clamp down again all over, including the net, once voters become lulled and distracted yet again.

[Echo In Light]

25. The right's diligence since the early 70s is frightening

As you say they gained a lot of footing by enticing the like minded and likewise duping the unwary who didn't take the threat of ignorant, prejudiced hate mongers seriously enough

[blm]

26. Which leads to the question - why didn't the DNC ever COUNTER these measures

once they realized by the early 90s, what was going on? Seems to me that is exactly when the DNC decided to fold on a state by state by basis and collapse in crucial states with no national attention or battle plans directed at these problems.

It has appeared to many of us to be a deliberate neglect from the Clinton-McAuliffe-Carville wing of the party that serves the corporatist agenda.

[lonestarnot]

17. Bastards!

[blm]

20. hey - - where have you been?

.

[lonestarnot]

21. I've been here.

:toast: Thanks for asking though. :P

[blm]

22. Well, happy Friday, kiddo. ;)

.

[lonestarnot]

24. Now Sat. so happy back at cha blm!

[pinniped]

23. These monopolistic fucks need to be broken up into pieces.

.