Shocking news? SB117 and political contributions
As if this isn’t the most obvious news story of the current Ohio legislative cycle from the Dayton Daily News:
Telecom industry gives big bucks to politicians
Lawmakers are being flooded with campaign donations as the industry pushes for cable deregulation.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
COLUMBUS — The telecommunications industry, which is pushing a bill to rewrite state cable franchising law, has contributed more than half a million dollars to the campaign coffers of lawmakers, statewide officeholders and political parties over the past two years, an analysis of campaign finance records by Ohio Citizen Action shows.
Telecom interests, led by giant AT&T, have poured $374,581 into lawmakers’ accounts, $69,365 to Gov. Ted Strickland, another $30,188 to the other four statewide officeholders, and $84,210 to Democrat and Republican party accounts, according to Citizen Action. The contributions totaled $558,344 in 2005 and 2006.
“The legislature is just being flooded by all this money and flooded with lobbyists who all want this type of deregulation. But they have to remember the consumers, who also happen to be the voters,” said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a consumer advocacy and good government group.
State Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., who received $6,800 from telecom and cable interests, introduced a bill in March that would allow cable and telephone companies that want to sell video services to negotiate a single franchise deal with the state.
Supporters say AT&T and other companies entering the video-provider market will spur competition and lower prices.
But consumer advocates and local governments counter that the bill reduces the power of communities to regulate cable customer service and control rights of way while consolidating weaker oversight into the Ohio Department of Commerce. It would also affect the deployment of broadband Internet services, allowing companies to “cherry pick” wealthy and densely populated areas but leave out poor and sparsely populated areas, Turcer said.
Well golly am I ever shocked! Our elected representatives are likely to get one hell of a case of turf tongue from all of that Astroturf (grassroots corporate style) butt they’re kissing.
