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Your ship's captain for a catastrophic anti-consumer cruise sponsored by Time Warner
Representative Harrell, we honestly cannot understand your surprise over the outrage and backlash that came after you handcrafted, on spec from Time Warner and its lobbying lawyers, an incredibly anti-consumer, anti-competitive, nightmare of a piece of legislation designed to destroy municipal broadband across the state of North Carolina.
Rep. Ty Harrell (D-NC), who normally considers himself a progressive Democrat, has so bumbled his way through this entire affair, he’s managed to end up on the same side as the ultra-big-corporate friendly Americans for Prosperity, which is now war-dialing its way through North Carolina with push polls and fear-monger phone messages. If that doesn’t sound alarm bells that something isn’t right, what will? He admits he didn’t realize North Carolina has been through this anti-consumer nonsense before. In 2007, largely the same bill was bought and paid for by big telecom special interests, but failed to pass after elected officials realized it would antagonize their constituents into voting for anyone but them in the next election. No kidding.
Harrell said he introduced the legislation, which amazingly channels industry wishes word for word, because ‘Time Warner approached him and asked for it,’ and even worse:
Opponents suggested a study bill, but Harrell says the industry representatives refused to consider it. “Having gone through those battles last time, the proponents of this bill were basically saying, ‘We’ve gone down that road before and we want to have it heard in committee. I said, ‘OK, since my name is on it and you’re in my district.’”
Time Warner evidently has direct access to the Ty Harrell’s Legislation Hotline, because when consumers call asking for protection from sky high rate hikes and municipal broadband competition, the only question from his office apparently is, “how did you get this number?”
Our conservative readers here get it. They know the best way to fight monopolies is to promote competition, which this bill certainly does not. Our progressive readers here get it. They know that an unregulated duopoly of providers (or monopoly in many areas) will deliver the slow service at high prices, so when private companies aren’t interested in delivering, their own community should step up and provide better service. Your bill trashes the dreams and hopes of both by making competition impractical and monopolies/duopolies a sure thing across the state.
It’s a real shame the only ones that don’t get it are elected officials who do the bidding of big cable and don’t have the wisdom to realize the way to survive this consumer catastrophe is not to be a part of it in the first place. Perhaps voters will need to remind them.
Contact Information:
Phone: 919-733-5602
Email: Ty.Harrell@ncleg.net
Rep. Ty Harrell
NC House of Representatives
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2121
Raleigh, NC 27601-1096
Representative Ty Harrell doesn’t sound like a very bright person. I guess money talks. I wonder how much money Time Warner has given his election committee?
This guy is an idiot, lol.
I wish you were required to have at least a 140 IQ to be in office.
Sorry for not being PC and all that, but I tell it how it is.
Rep. Ty Harrell is a product of the demographics of his home district. He won’t get money from the people, so big business adopts him, instead. Shame.
The only thing I have asked you and others to do is trust me. As hard as it may seem, this entire bill has more to it than meets the eye. Hopefully, you’ll hear what happens with the bill tomorrow in the Public Utilities Committee.
Many thanks for your attention and consideration.
Best wishes,
Ty
Wow, way to copy and paste from another story Ty. Of course, the chances of that actually being Ty Harrell are the same chances that I have of getting elected office… in other words, NONE.
Ty,
I could copy and paste from the other story as well, but I will say something different here. As much as you call yourself a progressive candidate, this bill shows everyone who invested political capital in you(your progressive base) that you are beholden to the industry folks. Should be an interesting election in 2010. I am truly disappointed.
Jay
Our formal reply is here: http://stopthecap.com/2009/05/06/rep-ty-harrell-responds-to-stop-the-cap-reports-about-hb-1252/
1) I doubt that’s Ty Harrell
2) “There’s more than meets the eye?!” I don’t think so, unless by that you mean “I’m getting some sweet TWC cheese but secretly am hoping this bill doesn’t pass”.
For SHAME!
[...] the Cap! readers will remember Harrell from this past spring, when he allowed Time Warner Cable to help draft anti-consumer, anti-municipal broadband legislation and introduced it as his own. It seems [...]
[...] me surprised. We’ve watched telecommunications companies in North Carolina custom-write legislation and find elected officials more than happy to get such legislation introduced, especially when [...]