On Net Neutrality, Too Many Dems Look Like Republicans

When it comes to Net Neutrality, the battle for a freer internet has been a tough slog to say the least. For the most part, it had been endorsed on the left and right so that information was able to course through the vast networks that make up the internet. Ideas, despite the Republicans picking up the moniker of "the party of No," are not partisan. They may be downright kooky in the tea party crowd, but they are still free to express their views (although their racism is just downright disgusting). Anyways, in Congress, this has not been a partisan issue, it is more about who is in who's pocket.

From The Agonist:

74 Democrats signed a joint letter to the FCC supporting internet throttling by Verizon, ATT and Comcast. Throttling lets carriers slow or block internet traffic. This is a clear attack on net neutrality.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just endorsed net neutrality. But The Money Party is busy buying votes. Here's a Top Ten list of the biggest rake-offs by the 74 Democrats. They had a total take of $2.8 million with an average of $37,000 a piece from industry sources and lobbyists. No telling how many jobs, trips, and other favors were provided. The Money Party is nothing, if not thorough.

Let your member of Congress know how you feel. Complaint letter to Congress

The business community has wished Net Neutrality dead for several years now, but it is still a pertinent issue. The telecoms have been busy fighting the public so that they can control the flow of information in order to increase their profits. They'll buy off Democrats and Republicans alike.

That is why we must follow in the footsteps of the Agonist and protest....and make ourselves heard, because when it comes to ideas and the future of our American democracy, the internet must be a wide open venue for all of us to communicate. Whether we talk to like-minded folk, organize around issues or just plain yell at each other in caps on the Huffington Post or the New York Post, making sure we can without restriction is nothing short of essential.

Clean Elections For California?

Several states have already joined in on the idea of clean elections, including the notorious Arizona, scenic Maine, nutmeggy Connecticut to name a few. To add the nation's largest state to the list though would be an impressive victory against special interest politics. California has it's shot to do just that this coming Tuesday.

From Calitics:

Proposition 15, the California Fair Elections Act, is widely known as the proposal to have the Secretary of State elected by a clean money system beginning in 2014 as a way to demonstrate the viability of the concept to Californians. But that's not all Prop 15 does, and not the only way it can expand clean money to the rest of the state. Prop 15 also removes a 20-year old restriction on local governments adopting clean money, and makes it easier to expand the system in the future by not requiring a follow-up vote to create public financing for other statewide races. [...]

If Prop 15 passes, local governments will be able to create their own publicly funded elections systems, though they'll have to also create the funding source. The state legislature could also expand public funding to other statewide offices as well, including governor, but they too would have to create a new funding source.

Now that is a tough bill. Californians, for the few that read this NY blog should remember to vote yes, and all those in New York would do well by telling their west coast friends to clean California's electoral system by voting yes on 15!

Now if only New York could do the same, it would help to sweep away much of the mess that is fueled by special interests in Albany.

Scary

It really is amazing how technology has advanced to track our destruction of the planet: