****** YE OLDE BAILEY ****** Node 1 03-31-95 18:53 Subject: Re: Texas Telecommunications Bill (fwd) To: reginald.hirsch@yob.com Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 15:08:36 -0600 (CST) From: William Scott McCollough On Thu, 30 Mar 1995 lyaa271@uts.cc.utexas.edu wrote: > *FLAME ON THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE* > > IF YOU ARE READING THIS ON A COMPUTER SCREEN YOU SHOULD BE MAD ENOUGH > AT THE LUDDITES IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO KILL * HB 2128 * > > THIS LEGISLATION WAS WRITTEN BY SOUTHWESTERN BELL AND SPONSORED BY > LEGISLATORS WHO EITHER DO NOT COMPREHEND THE IMPLICATIONS OF BILL > LANGUAGE, OR WHO ARE BEHOLDEN TO SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY, AND CYNICAL > ENOUGH ABOUT THE PUBLIC TO THINK NO ONE WILL NOTICE. Please send a > message to the legislators below. > > Internet access providers and small bulletin boards will come under > regulation by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the rates they > pay will double or triple, and these revenues will go into a fund > created to compensate SW Bell for revenue lost to competition. This > bill will effectively protect SW Bell from any responsibility for > interconnectivity, and even punish other service providers in favor > of SW Bell. The large publishing interests are supporting this > because they want to cut out bulletin boards and internet access > providers so they can control the gateway and collect everybody's > toll for the information superhighway. The bill gives the bigger > players access to Bell's Network on terms they can live with, > especially in the larger metropolitan areas, most likely in > return for favorable editorial coverage. Aiming at the City > of Austin, it also harms the principle of local self determination > by inhibiting the city's ability to govern the use of public rights > of way for the overall benefit of the public. It would economically > undermine the Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network, and > make it difficult to deal effectively with entities such as Time > Warner and the competitive access providers. It would cut off > debate on the merits and practicality of an overall fiber optic > network or information city boulevard, before it even begins. > > *FLAME ON THESE LEGISLATORS* > > House Committee on State Affairs > Mailing Address is PO Box 2910, Austin, Tx, 78768-2910 > > Chair and Bill Author* Curtis Lee Seidlits, Jr. > Vice Chair* Sylvester Turner Phone 463-0814 x E2.108 > Rep. Leo Alvarado - Dist 116 463-0106, FAX 463-4873 > Layton Black - Dist 54 463-0684, FAX 463-0501 > Fred M Bosse - Dist 128 463-0660, FAX 463-9884 > Bill G Carter -Dist 91 463-0842, FAX 463-1283 > Tom Craddick -Dist 82 463-0500, FAX 463-7722 > Debra Danburg -Dist 137 463-0504, FAX 463-5896 > Paul J Hilbert-Dist 150 463-0572, FAX 463-5896 > Scott Hochberg-Dist 132 463-0492, FAX 463-5896 > e-mail 707.1661@Compuserve.com > Bob Hunter -Dist 71 463-0718, FAX 463-6244 > Delwin Jones -Dist 83 463-0542, FAX 463-0671 > Brian McCall -Dist 66 463-0594, FAX 463-5896 > Tom Ramsay -Dist 2 463-0680, FAX 463-0828 > Steven Wolens -Dist 103 463-0746, FAX 463-5826 > > From: Stuart Heady, telecommunity activist, writer, and > member of the Austin Telecommunications Commission. > 447-6332 or lyaa271@uts.cc.utexas.edu > > > > H.B. 2128: THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES H.B. 2128 is a comprehensive re-write of Texas telecommunications law and policy. The bill is supported by telephone companies and major publishers, petition to the industry. The goal is lower telecommunications prices, new ser While there is much that is positive in H.B. 2128, and the sponsors clearly att will not be achieved. In addition, the language used to implement the policy l * The Act will result in regulation of electronic bulletin boards (BBS), even * It will double or triple the rates BBS sysops pay for the phone lines they u * It regulates Internet access providers, even the small ones. They will be d * It will double or triple the rates Internet access providers pay for the pho fees, like Prodigy and America On Line already do. * Since the state operates a lot of BBSs and provides considerable Internet ac nds are appropriated. As a result, you will either have to pay for electronic * The PUC will regulate state and local communications systems and these syste * It will bring the telcos a lot more in increased revenues than is presently * This is not a deregulation bill, it represents a radical increase in regulat * It will result in "electronic red-lining" of minority communities and smalle The legislative leadership is not to blame for these problems. They simply hav represented the effect of the language put in the bill at their behest. Some of the problems can be addressed by simple changes or additional clarifying provisions. A few of the matters discussed above, however, would require significant revision. The PUC will not be in a position to avoid most of these consequences as it i mplements the Act, since the language is the problem. Revision prior to final passage is required to avoid a host of embarrassing consequences. > > > > --0-1532863688-796674769=:8146--