[12663] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: EFF and the big bad T (tax) word [long]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Daniel J. Weitzner)
Wed May 25 21:54:10 1994
Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 14:32:07 -0600
To: don.wills@swc.com (Don Wills)
From: djw@eff.org (Daniel J. Weitzner)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com, mech@eff.org
At 1:15 PM 5/25/94 -0600, Don Wills wrote:
>Do you really advocate the federal government funding to local libraries
>and schools? Or do you advocate free or reduced rate network services to
>libraries and schools?
Yes, we believe that federal funding for schools and libraries is important
and it seems perfectly appropriate for some of that funding to go to net
access. Current postal rates and many local telecommunications tariffs
offer preferential access for educational and nonprofit institutions. As
long as those can be applied in a competitively neutral way, I don't see
what the problem is, especially as long as local communications companies
are monopolies.
>
>If the latter - Why do we allow book and magazine publishers to charge the
>same or MORE for their products to libraries than they charge to
>individuals? Could it be that they wouldn't sell to them otherwise? Maybe
>we need to force (via regulation) book publishers to provide universal
>access and reduced rates to libraries and schools!
Publishers are not common carriers.
>
>Don't you folks at EFF understand how ludicrous your position is?
No, and using words like "ludicrous" without any substantive arguement to
back up you point does not help me or anyone else understand. Why don't
you try explaining how to run a completely deregulated telecommunications
system that serves everyone in the country.
**************************************************************************
"Only in a police state is the job of a policeman easy."
--Orson Welles
......................................................................
Daniel J. Weitzner, Deputy Policy Director <djw@eff.org>
Electronic Frontier Foundation 202-347-5400 (v)
1001 G St, NW Suite 950 East 202-393-5509 (f)
Washington, DC 20001
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