(@#$!%&^*+. – promoted by odum)
UPDATE: It’s been a little while, but Congressman Welch got back to me on my two questions – why did he sign the letter, and does he still support net neutrality. Here’s the response:
Dear Mr. Breuer,
I strongly support net neutrality. The internet must remain open and available to all users. It is essential to the free flow of ideas, creativity, participatory democracy and commerce.
We must also fight to make the internet as accessible in rural Vermont as it is in major metropolitan areas. My signature on the letter to the FCC was intended to make that point. We need net neutrality and we need universal broadband access.
I will be monitoring the FCC rulemaking process carefully and encourage you to do the same by visiting www.fcc.gov. Please stay in contact with me as this process continues.
While I would quibble about the lengths at which the letter goes to push back against net neutrality, it’s an answer. Doesn’t sit the best with me, but if Representative Welch believes that’s the way towards internet access in Vermont, it’s his choice to stand by.
After reading an article at Daily Kos, I was quite shocked to find our own congressman Peter Welch among the signees of a letter that threatens the preservation of net neutrality. Representative Welch has joined alongside progressive superstars such as Walk Minnick, Dan Boren, and Heath Shuler in asking the FCC to abandon their plans to protect net neutrality.
The letter speaks for itself:
“…it is our strong belief that continued progress in expanding the reach and capabilities of broadband networks will require the Commission to reiterate, and not repudiate, its historic commitment to competition, private investment and a restrained regulatory approach.”
“…we would urge you to avoid tentative conclusions which favor government regulation.”
“…we remain suspicious of conclusions based on slogans rather than substance and of policies that restrict and inhibit the very innovation and growth that we all seek to achieve.”
I can’t believe that I’m writing this journal, because this is such a cut and dry issue. You either stand on the side of the people, or you side with business giants.
Does Representative Welch really believe this is the way we should push forward with internet?
I don’t claim to be an expert on this issue, but I feel like I have a pretty good sense of when we’re getting screwed, and this seems like a perfect case.
Read the whole letter here, and then let Representative Welch know how you feel.
SMALL-NOT-REALLY-AN-UPDATE: for what its worth, my messages about this letter never received a response (at least not in the window of time that I have traditionally heard back from his office on other issues)…
UPDATE 2: I always assume everyone here reads Blurt fairly regularly, so I hadn’t thought to post this when I saw it yesterday, but figure I should now.
Shay Totten wrote a piece regarding this story, and his credentials were able to get him somewhat of an official response from the Welch team:
“Congressman Welch strongly supports net neutrality and believes the Internet should remain open and available to all consumers. At the same time, he wants to ensure the expansion of broadband access to rural areas throughout Vermont,” Heintz told Seven Days. “Congressman Welch continues to urge the FCC to act carefully and deliberately in enacting new rules that balance these two essential priorities.”
Now, I love to be a little optimistic about our public officials, but that answer to me is akin to “No Johnny, of course we don’t want to get rid of the dog, but it is always worth seeing if there is another family or shelter that can take him if we grow tired of him”. Hell, I’m pretty sure the e-state initiative was about as progressive as this statement from Welch. How/why does the congressman believe that destroying the little internet regulation that exists will make the telecommunications companies holistic?
It may just be me, but I heard of a company called Fairpoint that got some regulations relaxed so that it could provide service everywhere, and they wound up doing an excellent job. I bet if we loosen the reins on all of the companies, they’re definitely going to find interest in wiring up the most rural parts of our state. But hey, it’s not like I’m a congressman or anything.
Very disappointing.
The CWA has come out in support of delay and/or reasoned dialog .”We began to get very concerned that it was going to have a negative impact on investment, which in this industry means hundreds of thousands of our members’ jobs,” CWA spokesman Goldman said. “We need a reasoned dialogue.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/…
while Representative “the weasel” Welch takes the standard weanie DC Democratic approach and kowtows to massive corporate powers, the worst kind of regulation will come from those businesses that manage to get a headlock on the info highways.
Hey … thanks again, Peter. After you’ve helped kill enough people with your unwavering support of war and gone after low income advocates with your attacks on ACORN you can get a cushy job with Time-Warner or some such.
I thought unwavering support for Net Neutrality was itself a
These guys seem to be willfully confusing monopoly capitalism with the real thing.
to my specific questions re: Welch’s Acorn vote; and despite repeated efforts to engage him, he was always unwilling to take a position on the St. Albans Walmart struggle, even though he spoke out against Walmart building near a Civil War battleground in the South. I am extremely disappointed in the direction he seems to be going.
Who could primary Welch?
I was a supporter when he first ran for office, but, while he’s good on certain issues (like energy), he is so consistently bad on others (everything to do with constitutional rights of individuals, regulation of out-of-control corporations, etc.), that I’m hoping for a strong progressive opponent to come forward.
Unfortunately, “neutral” just means DRIFTING with the tides of the moment, and the tides are flowing BACKWARD at the moment – TOWARD monarchy, torture, and money as GOD.
The left bought into “neutral” years ago, which is why we have failed, and are failing, while the right’s relentless masturbation slowly succeeds.
Look at WDEV, our home grown, locally owned radio station, and its local left and right shows:
True North radio devoted an hour to the idea that Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) is the greatest mass murderer of all time, greater than Hitler, Stalin, or Mao. During the gay marriage debate, Paul Beaudry was literally foaming at the mouth while shouting that Bill Lippert must resign from the legislature, because he broke the law by voting for gay marriage.
Equal Time, however, bends over backwards to hear all points of view, and, at most, gently chides the right for not listening or thinking.
In a republic, both legislature and judiciary over time tend toward representing self, and away from representing people, until everyone thinks government does more harm than good. At that point, usually power devolves BACKWARD onto a king, when it needs to go FORWARD towards government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Today, there’s no reason of time and distance that keep us from governing ourselves. It’s our passive attitude that keeps keeps our voices from being the real power in government.
We have so many creative people on the left. It’s just that we’re set back on our heels, and we allow the right control of our message. The Repubs know that better than we do.
The left has supposedly had control of both houses of the legislature in Vermont, so we could easily have shouted on all manner of national issues, from local access to media outlets to holding hands with foreign kings, but we have allowed the other side to keep us focused on money, and the net effect in the long run will be Republican Lite.
It’s the same with our national legislature, now that the Dems have a chance at control. They are bending over backwards to be “fair” while the other side is not. So, Afghanistan will become the left’s war, even though it was lost on the Repubs watch, and so on with the crash, the deficits, and all our other problems.
Take a moment to listen to Dylan singing “The Times Are Changing” again. We can let True North Radio take it as their anthem, or we can reclaim it as ours.
It has absolutely nothing with the $12,500 that he got from the Communications Workers of America PAC or the $24,000 that the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC ( 4th from the top in campaign $$) slipped under the door.
No, not our Pete. He would never bow to hi$ ma$ters. Impo$$ible!
Sources: http://www.reclaimthemedia.org…
http://www.opensecrets.org/pol…
I wrote his office the day I saw this on Kos, and no response here either. Not that I expect much more than the usual canned response about “appreciating my concern on this vital issue zzzzzzzzz”…
It seems Peter Welch doesn’t really favor free speech for the people. He thinks we need overseers like himself or maybe its just about who pays him. He’s really piling on: scold Move On for speaking out against the Iraq war, punish Acorn because Glenn Beck and other idiots are demanding it and it so much easier than taking away Blackwater or KBR’s funding for murder and rape.
Now I guess he wants ot make sure the net can’t stay free. What’s the matter Peter afraid the netroots might sus out bought off and timid Dems and elect someone from the left you so dread. I used to think he was a decent guy but you never know until someone gets to Congress how they’re really going to represent.
Received a response from Welch and added it to the top… maybe someone can give this another bump.