Hello fellow Washington WISPS's, Just so you know I am keeping my eye on Washington legislation. Every year the state gets more secretive about introducing anti-ISP legislative so they don't have to hear our common sense responses. Quick scheduling meetings, minimum notice of committee hearings, naming legislation that doesn't look like Internet issues to sneak it by, etc.. Between special interest groups and the government thinking they should be Internet Providers over the private sector it's almost like we're the minority position even though we ARE the providers. Any issues that any of you happen to see that will regulate us please let us know.
I'm also curious about things like CenturyLink just did in putting a 4.5% Internet "Fee" on a service that is required by law not to be "taxed". No different than the long history of circumventing the "price for life" promise with massive fees we should think about lobbying to have fees revealed by the AG's office as increases calculated into promises for a fixed price hence false advertising. In the past we have hired a lobbyist for single issues where everyone pitched in a small amount (I thought I remembered $500) which gave us a voice and an ear on Olympia. Much like your investment in WISPA it may be small but the yield is huge. If that would be something you'd consider let me know at forbes.me...@wabroadband.com. We really do need someone on the inside. I, like you, have little time beyond running my ISP to commit to advocating but some of you are closer to the wet side and it might be possible you can directly contact legislators, if you're willing to help our industry in this state also let me know. Don't forget in advertising for your company to call out the companies that violate the joke of a state Net Neutrality law; like the cell companies who prioritize and throttle on a daily basis, the cable company whose prices have gone up nearly 30%, telephone companies for their ever increasing fees and the government who wastes millions of your tax dollars trying to act like they know how to run a business that they know nothing about. The big guys are about greed and we (well most of us) are about service first so let's fly that honor flag as far as we can and keep the greed from making us an insignificant voice and player in the field that in most cases we started. Thanks, Forbes Mercy President - Washington Broadband, inc. Committee Coordinator - Washington State WISPA _______________________________________________ Washington mailing list Washington@wispa.org http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/washington
