AT&T Breaks the Law... Again... Targets PEG Stations.

Most of these groups wanted to be negotiators - plain and simple.  WHY negotiate at all?  Ego, I suspect.  I liken this to nations and Presidents negotiating with...you guessed it, terrorists.  Most nations do not negotiate.  Why do it?  Remember we are at war over "terrorists".  These Telco's are steamrolling their way across the US buying Legislature after Legislature with talk of competition and lower prices.  Yet, their broken promises and supposed law breaking has been going on for years and years.  When will anyone open their eyes and learn?  I guess some don't care to learn about History, and we will always be bound to repeat it.  Must've been all those lobbying dollars spent in IL - some of the largest amounts spent by AT&T in a state - ever.  

Some states in the US have not even entertained AT&T's nonsensical legislation.  Others have seen right through the smoke and mirrors and remembered past promises made by Telcos to create superior products with increased rollouts for tax breaks and other incentives from Gov. subsidies, only to find empty promises with old legacy equipment.  Project Pronto anyone? 

What was very interesting to watch in IL was that as many individual groups "negotiated their best deal" they jumped to support the bad bill.  There was never any concern for other groups and how it might affect them who were not as large, or who were not included at the table, yet had a stake in the outcome.  Perhaps their voice wasn't as loud, or they were not asked to "negotiate" their own deal.  But as an outsider looking in, it was crystal clear that each of these "negotiating" groups at the table were in it for themselves, and once they got what they thought was their best "deal" they never looked back.  Never mind that some of these smaller groups got the shaft in the process, because "they" (the biggies) negotiated "their" best deal, and the other guys really didn't matter at all after that. Me, me, me, me, me. 

Now one of the groups that supported the bill and negotiated the best deal they could get is upset and claiming AT&T is breaking the law.  Of course they are.  Is this a shock to anyone that knows anything about this company?  Didn't anyone do ANY research about this company before trying to "negotiate" with them?  TELCOS DO NOT NEGOTIATE.  Trying to stand on the leg that IL's bill had better PEG provisions and consumer protections than any other state had negotiate thus far rings a bit hollow because AT&T has still broken the law (according to PEG).  And by the way, IL already had wonderful consumer protections in place that cable providers and Telcos already had to provide by.  Those were not a huge, new stretch, although a huge deal has been made about them.  Whoopie!     

If some of the leaders, ANY of the legislators (even ONE),  and some of the groups in IL really weren't naive enough to believe that AT&T was going to "do what they say, and say what they mean", where were they when most of the groups came together to support the bill and the vote was taken in the IL Legislature, passing by a unanimous margin?  Why didn't they speak up?  But most of all, where was PEG?  If those groups had decided not to rollover and conceeded nothing, and had NOT negotiated, perhaps legislators would've taken notice and kicked the Telco out.  But they did settle, and now they have to live with the consequences.  If you really think the State Legislature or the State's Atty is going to be interested in prosecuting and enforcing this law, I think you've got another thing coming. 

I couldn't have said it any better Sascha!  I wanted to reiterate, I personally don't believe for one second that AT&T was unstoppable.  We opened the door, rolled out the red carpet for them, and said "come and get us".  IMHO, the problem was that the "Alliance" didn't stick together and fight the Death Star.  Instead, they tried to negotiate the best deals they each could get for themselves.  That was truly sad.  A lot of groups sold-out.  Many rolled over.  That left many to fend for themselves against a huge Telco with massive amounts of lobbying dollars.  Need I say more?

I was very involved with contacting/educating many, if not all, Senators and House Reps to give them history about AT&T, previous measures passed in other states, and updated antics around the country.  Interestingly enough, my own Senator called me at home to complain that he had received about 10-20 emails from me trying to educate him and that was too many!  He had heard enough about the subject!  I wonder if he had also had enough of all of the monetary contributions he had also received that year from AT&T?  I'm sure not since he continues to take them. 

Most (the important ones at the table and legislators) turned a blind eye and accepted what AT&T said as truth - that they would "follow the rules".  If I had a penny for every time an AT&T exec told a little fib to pass legislation I'd be rich.  I'm sure no one likes to hear that they have been niave or they got fooled by someone and bought the magic act.  But let's be truthful with ourselves here.  A lot of people bought the act.  Now that they see it for what it was, a ruse, they are embarrassed and want to fight back.  There would be no mess if everyone had stood their ground in the first place - presented a UNITED front.  Perhaps a lesson will be learned from this in the future about listening to a Telco.  As Nancy Reagan was fond of saying, "just say no"...to a Telco.

Keep it civil, anonymous. If you were targeting other respondents on my blog I'd have removed your post outright. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're not just a troll -- but before you start laying into folks, you should do a modicum of due diligence. Had you done so, your posting would have been a lot more informed. Here's some examples:

"As probaby the only comunity producer participating in this discussion..."

I've been a community producer for years now (and wouldn't be surprised if a couple other folks involved in the conversation may be as well). But having co-founded the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, spent a half-decade as treasurer for the Global Indymedia Network, helped create the WEFT 104.5 LPFM radio station, been elected to the board of directors of WEFT 90.1FM community radio station (and produced numerous radio shows and documentaries along the way), and created the areas main all-ages performance venue back a half-decade ago, I think I'm safe calling myself a community media producer.

"Actually Sasha, you do a pretty good imitation of our legislative supporters when you write, "I also have loads of respect for the work that CANTV and the Keep Us Connected Coalition has been doing," and then go on to trash that work."

Had you checked, you'd have seen that I've been a long-time member of the Keep Us Connected Coalition and publicly supportive of its work. I signed up in support when I first heard about it and have continued so support its work throughout. If attacking your own members and allies is your idea of a good way to build solidarity, I'll take it as a case in point of how fellowship gets broken to the detriment of shared goals.

"The Citizens Utility Board was lobbying for the ORIGINAL version of this bill from the start as was IBEW. And you have the fucking nerve to publicly take Keep Us Connected to task for "breaking the fellowship." (You also expose your political illiteracy again by stating that community media stopped HB1500. We sure opposed it - but it was the influence of the cable industry in the Senate that stopped that bill)"

I'd recommend actually reading what I wrote "The refrain I've heard is that AT&T was completely unstoppable and that PEG advocates did the best they could to make the best out of a raw deal. And I very much believe this is the case -- however, even this 'best possible solution' is turning out to be a mess. And where prior solidarity among community media advocates had been successful in preventing the passage of bad legislation (e.g., fighting HB1500), that fellowship was broken when PEG folks entered negotiations without consulting their allies. Perhaps a good next step would be to start organizing for the repeal of this current state franchise bill before it causes too much more harm? I'm certainly open to suggestions and, even with our differences of opinion, think we see eye-to-eye on most of these issues." Your response is exactly what I'd expect of a troll -- attempting to create more division than actually exists and drive a further wedge between erstwhile allies. In the meantime, anyone with even a basic understanding of how the political economics of government works knows that most decisions come down to a battle of corporate titans -- and Comcast wouldn't have stood a chance without community folks fighting the same battle.

"You're just another fuckin' white boy who wants to show everybody he's the smartest guy in the room and can't wait to say "I told you so." Grow up. Maybe this time you could actually participate in the struggle instead of sharing your political misreads along with your uncanny grasp of the obvious."

My father was born and raised in Brazil -- but I guess that doesn't matter in your racism-infused worldview. I've been raising concerns consistently since this AT&T bill first surfaced, and I've been consistently focused on remaining solution-focused all along the way. Instead of attacking an ally who has been correct in their assessment from the get-go, you devolve into racism and infantile ad hominems. Responses like yours serve no purpose other than to undermine the good work that so many of us are doing to support community empowerment.