The GOP voted yesterday to destroy an important Obama-era consumer protection.
Despite overwhelming evidence that the public disapproved of a future of extortionate fees, blocked websites, throttled services and content censorship, the GOP-majority members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) completed their mission of rooting out and destroying Obama-era landmarks by voting 3-2 along party lines Thursday to repeal its landmark net neutrality protections.
They did this despite credible evidence of corruption…
Eighteen attorneys general, dozens of Democratic congressmen and two Republicans had pushed for a delay to the ruling to address the millions of fake comments supporting the repeal, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai refused. Two million comments filed to the FCC on net neutrality were submitted under stolen identities, said Commissioner Rosenworcel, who opposed the repeal. Half a million came from Russian addresses, and 50,000 net neutrality complaints have gone “inexplicably missing.”
They did this despite fierce public opposition…
“Organic” comments from real people, approximately 22,000,000 of them, were overwhelmingly against the repeal. There were 700 protests across the country last week to stop the FCC’s attack on the internet, or that 83% of Americans opposed his plan to repeal Title II.2 Meanwhile Democratic lawmakers and dozens of activists protested outside. Despite all this and after a bomb threat cleared the room for a short time, the voting took place.
History proves that allowing corporations to regulate themselves is a terrible idea.
The FCC has previously allowed such “corporate capture” of communication regulation to take shape, it stifled innovation and reduced competition. It was a bad idea then. We should be learning from it, not ignoring it. The gloves are already off.
Now, Internet providers just have to be “transparent” about how they’re cheating us.
“Once the rules are enacted, which could happen as early as January 2018, internet providers can begin blocking access to websites or throttling connection speeds. They’ll just need to be “transparent” about how they are managing traffic on their network, according to the regulations crafted by Chairman Pai. If AT&T says in its user agreement that it may one day decide to block access to Netflix but give free access to HBO, it is free to do so. (And we all know how closely people read user agreements.) Internet providers will be able to set up what is essentially a two-way toll, charging subscribers to access the internet and charging websites to access users.”
The next step of opposition begins. Join in.
“The hacking group Anonymous said it will “make these men realize what a terrible mistake they made,” threatening to “come after” Pai and his allies. Opponents of the FCC action, meanwhile, said they would take the agency to court. New York’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, announced Thursday that he intends to file a multi-state lawsuit “to stop the FCC’s illegal rollback of net neutrality.” Critics and activists will now push for Congress to step in and pass a resolution of disapproval using the Congressional Review Act to overturn the FCC’s order.
#1 – Make sure your state attorney is joining the lawsuits.
The following states are suing Trump’s FCC in order to preserve #NetNeutrality. Thank your state’s Attorney General if they’re on this list, or spank them if they’re not.
- California
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- NY
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
Don’t know Attorney General’s contact information? Click here. They are arranged in alphabetical order by state. Click on their picture for their phone contact.
Minimal “thanks” script: I’m calling from [93003] to thank (CA) Attorney General Becerra for suing the FCC for their repeal of net neutrality.
Phone: (916) 445-9555, call after 9:00 am to speak to a live person.
Website: https://oag.ca.gov
Minimal “Spank” script: I’m calling from [93003] to demand (State) Attorney General [___] protect comsumer’s access to a free internet by suing the FCC for their repeal of net neutrality. Seventeen other states have already begun proceedings.
#2 – Make sure your Senator is supporting Senator Markey’s resolution.
Markey is introducing a resolution under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to erase any new federal regulatory action within 60 congressional days, if the president agrees. “With this CRA, Congress can correct the Commission’s misguided and partisan decision and keep the internet in the hands of the people, not big corporations,” Markey said Thursday.
Minimal script: I’m calling from [93003] to verify that Senator [___] is voting to approve Senator Markey’s resolution to “Restore Internet Freedom”
Senator Feinstein: DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Other Senator Contacts: http://www.phoneyourrep.com
Step #3 – Tell your legislators to come up with a law to protect the net.
The best long-term solution is to elevate the mandate to protect net neutrality above the FCC’s regulatory level by enshrining it in law, like Senator Bill Nelson tried to do back in 2015 . Let’s push forward on all 3 of these items, because having an open, unbiased online information network is crucial not only to the Resistance, but to democracy itself now.
Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep./Sen. [___] to author a law to ensure that the internet’s Title Two net neutrality rules remain in place, no matter what industry hack is in charge of the FCC.
Rep. Julia Brownley: (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: (CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Other Rep Contacts: http://www.phoneyourrep.com
Senator Feinstein: DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Other Senator Contacts: http://www.phoneyourrep.com
Step #4 – Check to see if your GOP legislator is on this list…
107 House Republicans signed a letter of support for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to end net neutrality. They’ve been able to identify 84 of the signatures. If you have a GOP Representative, look at the unidentified signatures to see if your person is part of this problem. If so, you need to call them and offer to help them pack at the end of their term.
This leaves 132 GOP senators that didn’t sign. Maybe they’re worried that the overwhelming number of their constituents don’t want this to happen. This together with their turd of a tax scam may put them on the sidewalk.
Confirmed signers and the amount they’ve received in donations from the telecom industry since 1989:
- Mo Brooks, Alabama, $26,000
- Ron Estes, Kansas, $13,807
- Thomas Massie, Kentucky, $25,000
- Ralph Norman, South Carolina, $15,050
- John Moolenaar, Michigan, $25,000
- Neal Dunn, Florida, $18,500
- Mike Bishop, Michigan, $68,250
- Alex Mooney, West Virginia, $17,750
- Glenn “GT” Thompson, Pennsylvania, $70,500
- Blaine Luetkemeyer, Missouri, $105,000
- Paul Gosar, Arizona, $12,250
- Richard W. Allen, Georgia, $24,250
- Kevin Cramer, North Dakota, $168,500
- Greg Walden, Oregon, $1,605,986
- Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee, $600,999
- Billy Long, Missouri, $221,500
- Gregg Harper, Mississippi, $245,200
- Brett Guthrie, Kentucky, $398,500
- Bill Johnson, Ohio, $196,666
- Jeff Duncan, South Carolina, $41,830
- Earl “Buddy” Carter, Georgia, $39,250
- Susan Brooks, Indiana, $168,500
- Gus Bilirakis, Florida, $234,400
- Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma, $141,750
- Mimi Walters, California, $161,500
- Joe Barton, Texas, $1,262,757
- Bill Flores, Texas, $127,500
- Pete Olson, Texas, $220,500
- Morgan Griffith, Virginia, $198,900
- Tim Walberg, Michigan, $131,850
- Fred Upton, Michigan, $1,590,125
- Joe Wilson, South Carolina, $104,750
- Martha McSally, Arizona, $84,936
- Blake Farenthold, Texas, $64,250
- Steve Womack, Arkansas, $104,750
- Tom Marino, Pennsylvania, $130,700
- Louie Gohmert, Texas, $85,055
- Walter Jones, North Carolina, $72,800
- Leonard Lance, New Jersey, $290,550
- Steve Chabot, Ohio, $332,083
- Bob Goodlatte, Virginia, $815,099
- Andy Biggs, Arizona, $19,500
- Mark Walker, North Carolina, $35,750
- Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin, $21,200
- Ken Buck, Colorado, $79,350
- Larry Bucshon, Indiana, $71,750
- Chuck Fleischmann, Tennessee, $42,00
- David Rouzer, North Carolina, $34,300
- Paul Mitchell, Michigan, $18,000
- Hal Rogers, Kentucky, $360,450
- Doug Collins, Georgia, $103,600
- Ralph Abraham, Louisiana, $27,300
- Mark Meadows, North Carolina, $14,500
- Michael McCaul, Texas, $216,500
- Jeb Hensarling, Texas, $270,198
- Mike Simpson, Idaho, $125,200
- Tom Emmer, Minnesota, $28,500
- Randy Weber, Texas, $13,750
- Rob Woodall, Georgia, $60,250
- Ted Budd, North Carolina, $15,500
- Ken Calvert, California, $219,212
- Diane Black, Tennessee, $104,750
- Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, $115,700
- Sam Johnson, Texas, $219,785
- James Comer, Kentucky, $22,750
- Trey Gowdy, South Carolina, $83,250
- Lamar Smith, Texas, $810,462
- Steven A King, Iowa, $210,810
- George Holding, North Carolina, $97,750
- Rob Wittman, Virginia, $57,250
- John Lee Ratcliffe, Texas, $53,950
- Jason Lewis, Minnesota, $21,050
- Jim Banks, Indiana, $16,303
- Bill Huizenga, Michigan, $34,000
- Bill Shuster, Pennsylvania, $202,500
- Steven Russell, Oklahoma, $23,500
- Adrian Smith, Nebraska, $165,834
- Jody B Hice, Georgia, $21,000
- Richard Hudson, North Carolina, $136,750
- Douglas L Lamborn, Colorado, $110,543
- Chris Collins, New York, $151,060
- Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Washington, $673,530
- Brad Wenstrup, Ohio, $33,750
- Andy Barr, Kentucky, $51,100
Minimal script for those with GOP House members: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep. [___] to publicly support the Title Two net neutrality rules and commit to reversing the FCC corrupt decision to repeal them. Refusal to do so indicates you are not responsible enough to hold public office anymore.
Rep Contacts: http://www.phoneyourrep.com
More info:
http://thehill.com/policy/technology/364887-fcc-votes-to-repeal-net-neutrality-rules
https://www.cringely.com/2017/11/22/15471/
https://mobile.twitter.com/Resistance_Feed/status/941427227211726848
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 