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From those same wonderful folks who brought you ObamaCare and the IRS as a political weapon:

 

February 6, 2015

 

STATEMENT OF FCC COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI

ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PLAN TO REGULATE THE INTERNET

Last night, Chairman Wheeler provided his fellow Commissioners with President Obama’s 332-page plan to regulate the Internet. I am disappointed that the plan will not be released publicly. The FCC should be as open and transparent as the Internet itself and post the entire document on its website.

Instead, it looks like the FCC will have to pass the President’s plan before the American people will be able to find out what’s really in it.

In the coming days, I look forward to continuing to study the plan in detail. Based on my initial examination, however, several points are apparent.

First, President Obama’s plan marks a monumental shift toward government control of the Internet. It gives the FCC the power to micromanage virtually every aspect of how the Internet works.

It’s an overreach that will let a Washington bureaucracy, and not the American people, decide the future of the online world. It’s no wonder that net neutrality proponents are already bragging that it will turn the FCC into the “Department of the Internet.” For that reason, if you like dealing with the IRS, you are going to love the President’s plan.

Second, President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet will increase consumers’ monthly broadband bills. The plan explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband.

Indeed, states have already begun discussions on how they will spend the extra money. These new taxes will mean higher prices for consumers and more hidden fees that they have to pay.

Third, President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet will mean slower broadband for American consumers. The plan contains a host of new regulations that will reduce investment in

broadband networks. That means slower Internet speeds. It also means that many rural Americans will have to wait longer for access to quality broadband.

Fourth, President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet will hurt competition and innovation and move us toward a broadband monopoly. The plan saddles small, independent

businesses and entrepreneurs with heavy-handed regulations that will push them out of the market. As a result, Americans will have fewer broadband choices. This is no accident. Title II was designed to regulate a monopoly. If we impose that model on a vibrant broadband marketplace, a highly regulated monopoly is what we’ll get. We shouldn’t bring Ma Bell back to life in this dynamic, digital age.

Fifth, President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet is an unlawful power grab. Courts have twice thrown out the FCC’s attempts at Internet regulation. There’s no reason to think that the third

time will be the charm. Even a cursory look at the plan reveals glaring legal flaws that are sure to mire the agency in the muck of litigation for a long, long time.

And sixth, the American people are being misled about what is in President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet. The rollout earlier in the week was obviously intended to downplay the plan’s

massive intrusion into the Internet economy. Beginning next week, I look forward to sharing with the public key aspects of what this plan will actually do.

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Jerry
Jerry
Saturday, February 7, AD 2015 1:42pm

I wonder if our Dear Leader consulted with Pope Francis on this?

Don the Kiwi
Don the Kiwi
Saturday, February 7, AD 2015 5:35pm

More freedoms of the American people being whittled away.

The New Soviet Union of America slowly but surely advancing.
(Help – am I allowed to say that ???? )

James
James
Sunday, February 8, AD 2015 9:11am

Another opportunity for the Republicans to thrash the Democrats in the 2016 race, not only for the White House, but for more seats in Congress. Will they take advantage of it?

Foxfier
Admin
Sunday, February 8, AD 2015 10:32am

About the only thing I like about this situation is that, as ground-prep, they updated what is meant by “broadband.” My mom’s email times out when downloading formatted text emails, but is technically “broadband.”

Foxfier
Admin
Sunday, February 8, AD 2015 10:34am

(Pie in the sky, I’d prefer the gov’t not be involved in the internet AT ALL and that “broadband” be used more like “certified angus,” but I’ll take small improvements.)

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