The Price of Broadband Politics

One good measure of the intensity with which phone and cable companies dislike the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to extend its regulatory oversight over access to broadband Internet is the amount of money they are spending on political contributions.

Last month, 74 House Democrats sent a letter to the F.C.C.’s chairman, Julius Genachowski, warning him “not to move forward with a proposal that undermines critically important investment in broadband and the jobs that come with it.” Rather than extend its authority over telecommunications networks to broadband under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, they demanded that the F.C.C. wait for Congress to pass specific legislation.

The message parroted views held by AT&T, Comcast and Verizon — the biggest broadband service providers in the country. (Comcast warned that the F.C.C.’s efforts could “chill investment and innovation.”) Their executives and political action committees have been among the top 20 campaign contributors to 58 of the 74 lawmakers in the past two election cycles.

As the F.C.C. proceeds with its plan to regulate broadband access, it seems likely we can expect more of this resistance from members of Congress.

Political contributions from AT&T in the current election cycle reached $2.6 million by May 16, on the way to exceeding the total in each of the last three elections. The company has contributed to the campaigns of every Republican and all but three Democrats on the subcommittee that deals with the Internet in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It has given money to more than half the members of the equivalent Senate panel.

Comcast has spent more than $2 million on campaign donations; Verizon has given $1.2 million. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association — the industry’s collective lobbying group — has spent about $1 million more. And just in case that isn’t persuasive enough of the ills of government regulation, telephone and cable companies spent $20.6 million lobbying the government in the first quarter of the year.

The Sunlight Foundation, which tracks industry lobbying, reported that cable and phone companies had 276 former government officials lobbying for them in the first quarter, including 18 former members of Congress and 48 former staffers of current members of Congress on committees with jurisdiction over the Internet. The list includes former staffers of at least six of the House Democrats who signed the letter to the F.C.C.

To us, it seems obvious that the Federal Communications Commission should extend its oversight to broadband, the most important telecommunications network of our time, to guarantee open, nondiscriminatory and competitive access and to protect consumers’ rights.

But reason is not always a match for money in Washington. The F.C.C. has a rough road ahead.

2011 and 2012 Medical Benefit Changes for Active Employees

• HOW THIS WILL WORK
  1. Individual- He/she goes to the doctor, and pays the full doctor bill until he/she reaches his $350 deductible.  From this point on when he/she has any type of medical care he/she pays 10% coinsurance of the negotiated rate of the medical bill. Once  he/she pays the out of pocket maximum of  $1000, now the company pays 100% of the medical claims.

• 2. Family of 2—Husband and wife - Wife has a lot of medical problems and reaches a deductible of $350 first, she will then go to only paying 10% coinsurance of the negotiated rate of the medical bill.  The wife continues on and reaches the individual out of pocket maximum of $1000, now the company pays 100% of the medical claims.  The husband still has not reached the $350 deductible so is still paying 100% of his doctor visits. He has reached his deductible and is now paying 10% coinsurance, once he reaches  the $1000 out of pocket maximum all his medical claims will be paid at 100% by the company like his wife’s.

• Only applies to Network prescriptions drug copays
• The amount that is applied to the out of pocket maximum is the network prescription drug copay
• With Family coverage a covered person has satisfied the out of pocket maximum once their copays satisfy the individual out of pocket maximum amount.  The family out of pocket maximum is met once any combination of covered person’s prescription drug copays meets the family out of pocket maximum amount.  It is not necessary that any one individual reach the individual out of pocket maximum amount, but no one individual may contribute more than the individual out of pocket maximum amount.

 3rd quarter 2010 surplus announcment

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Final Bargaining Report - CWA-ATT Mobility

April 17, 2010

 Retiree Health Care & New Reform Legislation

Here are the key items you should know:

5. There are many other changes in the health care legislation which will help contain future cost increases, including: