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Wednesday, January 25
The Congressman and Abramoff (as told by Dr Seuss)
by
Caroline Vernon
on Wed 25 Jan 2006 04:40 PM CST
 The Congressman and Abramoff (As Told by Dr. Seuss)
Thanks to Jim Nickel for sharing this.
That Abramoff!
That Abramoff!
I do not like that Abramoff!
"Would you like to play some golf?"
I do not want to play some golf.
I do not want to, Abramoff.
"We could fly you there for free.
Off to Scotland, by the sea."
I do not want to fly for free.
I don't like Scotland by the sea.
I do not want to play some golf.
I do not want to, Abramoff.
"Would you, could you, take this bribe?
Could you, would you, for the tribe?"
I would not, could not, take this bribe.
I could not, would not, for the tribe.
"If we strong armed the corporations
Into giving you donations?
They'd be funneled to your PAC.
Would you then cut us some slack?"
I would not, could not, cut you slack.
I do not care about my PAC.
I do not want to play some golf.
I do not want to, Abramoff.
"A plane! A plane! A plane! A plane!
Would you, could you, for a plane?"
I could not, would not, for a plane.
Not for a bribe, not for the tribe.
Not for your corporate donations.
Not for my PAC, not for some slack.
Not from ANY schmoe named Jack.
"Would you help us buy some ships
Perfect for quick gambling trips?
Talk to people in the know
For a little quid pro quo?
Oh come now, don't be such a snob.
Let us give your wife a job."
I will not help you buy some ships.
I do not wish for gambling trips.
My wife she does not need a job
Even if she is a snob.
I do not like bribes, can't you see?
Why won't you please just let me be?
"You do not like bribes, so you say.
Try them, try them, and you may.
Try them and you may, I say."
Jack, if you will just let me be
I will try them, then you'll see.
Say.... I do like playing golf!
I like it, I do, Abramoff!
I do like Scotland by the sea.
It's such a thrilling place to be!
And so I will take this large bribe.
And I will help the indian tribe.
And I will take your large donations
From all your big corporations.
And I will help you buy some ships.
And I will take quick gambling trips.
Say, I'll give anyone the shaft
As long as it involves some graft!
I do so like playing golf!
Thank you! Thank you,
Abramoff!
Legislation to Deregulate Cable TV, Reduce Consumer Rights, and Eliminate Free Access
by
Trish Nelson
on Wed 25 Jan 2006 08:54 AM CST
 Action Alert: Stop Legislation to Deregulate Cable TV, Reduce Consumer Rights, and Eliminate Free Access
Contributed by Drew Shaffer, Cable TV Administrator
There are lobbying efforts in many state legislatures and in Congress right now that intend to completely deregulate cable TV and phone companies. Several bills have already been introduced in Congress and one is on it's way to the Iowa State legislature.
If successful, these bills would effectively:
eliminate any operational support for all public access cable tv channels in the US;
eliminate local franchising authority;
eliminate the ability of cities to regulate any rates of cable tv or phone companies and
eliminate the ability of cities to protect their citizens, by
eliminating
the ability of cities to deal with citizen complaints about their cable
tv/phone companies, and to the largest extent possible,
eliminate franchise fees.
These
lobbying efforts are largely being carried out by Verizon and Southern
Bell (which will shortly become AT&T through a merger/buyout),
although some cable companies are assisting their efforts. The phone
companies argument is that local franchising is a barrier to entry -
they will not be able to roll out their tv offerings fast enough to
compete with cable tv. The cable companies are arguing they should not
have to supply all the offerings they now make to cities (including
such things as operational funding for access channels, franchise fees,
pass through funds, etc.).
The
Congressional representatives that have been approached by cities over
the last six months indicate that there will be a bill passed this year
and that it will NOT be public access channel/city/citizen friendly (although
they might not put it quite like that - that will be the effect).
If you
are concerned about these developments, please contact your
Congressional and state reps and let them know you do not want this to
happen - that phone companies and cable companies should not be de-regulated. In fact, there should be further regulation to protect citizens, cities and public access channels.
Click here to find and contact your state legislators
Click here to find and contact your Congressman and US Senators
E-mail,
fax and phone are the best ways to contact our Washington reps.
If you send a snail-mail, send it to their district office rather than
DC. (All congressional mail sent to DC is screened for anthrax
and therefore it will take much longer to get there).
Drew
Shaffer, is the Cable TV Administrator in Iowa City. This issue
was discussed with Nick Johnson on Ch.
18, Iowa City’s Public Access Channel on the "Live & Local”
program. For more information, IC residents can watch for this
program to be rebroadcast - check the PATV schedule here.
If you would like to be part of organized media reform efforts in Iowa, please consider joining Iowans for Better Local TV.
To find out more, click here
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