We are impressed with Congressman Terry's talent to trample our civil rights and special powers to let large corporations with big wallets buy his support while sacrificing the freedom and will of his constituents. High Five Lee!!!!!!!!
Please, for those of you who live in Omaha, advocate!! Maybe you too can receive this "awesome, blow your mind, really concerned" response from Congressman Terry. ;P
C'mon Lee, stand up for the neutral internet, it's the right thing to do.
Dear ------------------:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about net neutrality.
On June 8, 2006, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan "Communications, Opportunity , Promotion, and Enhancement Act" (COPE). However, the video franchise legislation failed to pass in the 109th Congress, and it is unknown if legislation will come to the floor in the 110th Congress.
The COPE Act was primarily a video franchise bill that would allow telephone companies to receive a national franchise certificate allowing them to streamline the franchise process. Currently, if a new video provider comes to a community, the provider must obtain a franchise from the local government. That franchise gives the provider the right to do business in that community and rights to the cities' right of ways. However, today many new video providers find the local franchise process extremely burdensome and a hurdle in bringing competition to the public and the COPE Act would ease that burden and bring more competition to the public.
Another aspect of COPE was the net neutrality provisions. COPE would give the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) strong authority to protect access to Web sites and Internet applications by allowing the FCC to enforce its broadband principles that ensure consumers are entitled to: (1) Access to lawful Internet content of their choice; (2) Run applications and services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement; (3) Connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network; (4) Competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
I do not believe Congress should regulate the internet by accepting further net neutrality provisions. The FCC under COPE has explicit authority to enforce net neutrality, permitting the FCC to impose fines of $500,000 for each violation of the broadband principles and the FCC is mandated to resolve any dispute within 90 days. By approaching net neutrality on a case-by-case basis, the FCC can establish fair rules of the road as Internet providers roll out new services. Imposing nondiscriminatory rules on all providers would stop innovation in its tracks.
The internet today has operated well without further laws regulating internet service providers (ISPs). However, I would not want to see any provider, whether ISP, cable company, or telephone company have the power to block or deny anyone access to the Internet.
Sincerely,
LEE TERRY
Member of Congress
11717 Burt Street, Suite 106
Omaha, NE 68154
Phone: 402-397-9944
