FISA, Democrats and Telecom PAC Money

by: chenangofreethinker

Thu Jun 26, 2008 at 10:10:18 AM EDT

We have to take a bit of this with a grain of salt, because by law, whenever I donate money, I have to write down that Im a telecommunications engineer. It is my understanding, this correlates to Telecom PAC money. Its a bit of horse manure, but alas. Im not att or verizon.

From Maplight.org

MAPLight.org's research department compiled PAC campaign contributions from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint and correlated them with the voting records of all House members who voted on last week's FISA bill. (The analysis used data from CRP; contributions were from January 2005 through March 2008). Here are the findings:

Comparing Democrats' Votes (March 14th and June 20th votes):

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:

$8,359 to each Democrat who changed their position to support immunity for Telcos (94 Dems)
$4,987 to each Democrat who remained opposed to immunity for Telcos (116 Dems)

88 percent of the Dems who changed to supporting immunity (83 Dems of the 94) received PAC contributions from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint during the last three years (Jan. 2005-Mar. 2008). See below for list of these 94 Dems.

All House Members (June 20th vote:)
Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:

$9,659 to each member of the House voting "YES" (105-Dem, 188-Rep)
$4,810 to each member of the House voting "NO" (128-Dem, 1-Rep)

MAPLight.org's research department findings are based on the combination of contribution data from the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) with voting data from THOMAS via GovTrack.us.

"Campaign contributions bias our legislative system," said Daniel Newman, Executive Director of MAPLight.org. "Simply put, candidates who take positions contrary to industry interests are unlikely to receive industry funds and thus have fewer resources for their election campaigns than those whose votes favor industry interests."

Hit http://www.maplight.org/FISA_J... - to find your rep, and how much he received. Arcuri got $2500

Spitzer's Broadband Speech

by: phillip anderson

Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 15:52:22 PM EST

And for those of you on, ahem, dialup, and I know there are quite a few, the full text of the prepared speech is on the flip...

Spitzer To Announce New Broadband Council in Niagara Falls

by: phillip anderson

Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 09:01:17 AM EST

What, if anything, this means for the Brodsky Bill is unclear. From an emailed press release:

GOVERNOR ELIOT SPITZER AND FIRST LADY SILDA WALL SPITZER LAUNCH EFFORT TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET FOR EVERY NEW YORKER

State Forms Broadband Council to Support Key Component of "I Live NY" Initiative

Governor Eliot Spitzer and First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer today announced the formation of the New York State Council for Universal Broadband, which is charged with developing strategies to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-speed internet service. Additionally, a Request for Proposal will be released on Friday, December 7th, to begin the process of distributing funds that were allocated in this year's budget for competitive grants to research, design and implement accessible Internet for underserved areas of New York. Governor Spitzer made the announcement at the New York Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting, held this year at the Niagara Falls Convention Center.

Increased access to broadband service combined with digital literacy programs can dramatically improve social, cultural and educational opportunities that ultimately lead to increased job creation and economic development. This Universal Broadband initiative is a key component of the First Lady's I Live New York initiative aimed at attracting and retaining New York's next generation.
"As we build an Innovation Economy we must make New York the most connected and technologically advanced place to live and do business in the world," said Governor Spitzer. "Internet access is no longer a luxury. We must implement a strategy that leads to every New Yorker having access to affordable, high-speed Internet so that they may take advantage of the economic, social and cultural opportunities it provides."

Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson said: "This new investment in the expansion of high speed internet access for our neglected urban and rural communities both narrows the digital divide and also moves us towards closing a long standing economic one. I am pleased that minority and women-owned enterprises, which have not gotten their fair shake at doing business with the state, will be required to take part in this work to make high speed internet available to more New Yorkers. The Governor and the First Lady, working together, are taking a significant step forward for real economic justice."

First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer said: "Developing innovative strategies and collaborative partnerships is at the core of our I Live New York initiative. At our September 18th summit, young people identified access to digital services as a key determinant in their decisions of where to live and work. I'm so pleased Dr. Mayberry-Stewart and the Broadband Council have taken the lead to expand broadband service across our state. Universal and affordable access to the tools of the 21st Century is paramount to keeping our next generation in New York and for our state's competitiveness on the global stage."

John Lincoln, President of New York Farm Bureau, said: "Farm Bureau has long recognized the need for broadband access in rural areas, where most of our members do business. Broadband is an essential business tool that our farmers require to compete in a global economy. We are grateful that Governor Spitzer is taking this initiative as part of a bigger effort to revitalize the Upstate economy."

More, including the members of the new council, on the flip...