NYC LOCAL: Wednesday 18 October 2006 Bruce Kushnick on Bill Moyers show: Freedom, Privacy, and Our Net

[secretary]

<blockquote
  what="official Save the Internet announcement">

 From: "Bruce Kushnick" <bruce@newnetworks.com>
 Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:42:01 -0400

 Dear SavetheInternet.com Coalition member, 

 In the six months since the SavetheInternet.com Coalition was launched,
 millions of Americans have joined the campaign, spoken out for Internet
 freedom and put Congress and the phone companies on notice. 

 This grassroots movement barely existed at the beginning of 2006. Now we're
 on the verge of toppling one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington. 

 The reason for our success? Organized and overwhelming public support for a
 free and open Internet. 

 Here's where things stand today: 


 Staying Organized and Energized 

 Phone and cable companies have spent more than $100 million on lobbyists,
 Astroturf groups, political campaigns and PR firms. But they are finding
 that money can't overcome organized public opposition. 

 Internet users have mounted a defense of Net Neutrality using blogs, YouTube
 videos, MySpace sites and emails to send Congress an overwhelming message of
 public support for a free and open Internet - and opposition to any
 legislation that cedes control of the Internet to the phone and cable
 companies. 

 SavetheInternet.com's grassroots success has been covered in the pages of
 nearly every major U.S. newspaper and on innumerable blogs. According to a
 recent article at Salon.com, our "ragtag army" has put Congress and phone
 lobbyists on the run. 

 Tonight, Oct 18, PBS stations will air "The Net at Risk," a 90-minute
 documentary produced by Bill Moyers, which hails our grassroots efforts to
 support Net Neutrality. Please check your local listings and tune in. After
 the show, participate in a live Web debate featuring Free Press Policy
 Director Ben Scott and phone company flack Mike McCurry. 

 *      For more information to participate in the PBS debate visit:
 http://www.pbs.org/moyers
 *      Read the Salon story:
 http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2006/10/02/slayers/
 *      Stay up to date on the latest developments at the
 SavetheInternet.com blog: http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog


 Stopping the Lame Duck Congress

 While we have stymied the Internet gatekeepers' efforts thus far, we're not
 out of the woods yet. 

 The Senate version of the telecommunications bill -- sponsored by Sen. Ted
 Stevens of Alaska -- will not come to the floor for a vote before the Nov. 7
 midterm election. But we must guard against any attempt by Congress to sneak
 through this legislation during the post-election "lame-duck" session. 

 SavetheInternet.com Coalition members need to keep the heat on elected
 officials in November and December -- before the 209th Congress gavels to a
 close. We need to pay particular attention to any senator who might side
 with the phone companies and attempt to pass Stevens' bill under the dark of
 night. 

 *      Check out our Senate map to learn where your senators stand on the
 issue: http://www.savetheinternet.com/=senatemap 


 Keeping the Public Engaged

 If Congress can't pass a communications bill in 2006, it will have to start
 over in January. It's possible that we will have a House and Senate that are
 more sympathetic to Net Neutrality. But don't expect the phone companies to
 simply roll over in 2007. 

 You can help by keeping your members and readers engaged in this fight.
 Here's what they can do:

 *      Write letters to their hometown newspapers:
 http://www.savetheinternet.com/letters
 *      Call their senators to support the issue:
 http://www.savetheinternet.com/=senatemap 
 *      Spread the word to others. Tell your friends to stand up for
 Internet freedom: http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet/forward 


 On the Verge of a Grassroots Victory 

 If we hold out against the phone companies until 2007, we'll have scored a
 victory "of historic proportions," according to Geov Parrish of
 WorkingforChange.com. 

 "Name the last time a lobby with that much power and money was stymied in
 its top legislative priority by a citizen movement," Parrish wrote "Offhand,
 I can't think of any examples at all. And this during the most corrupt,
 lobbyist-pliant Congress in recent American history." 

 Our success thus far reflects the Internet's new power to mobilize millions
 of people as a democratizing force. We've sent a potent message to
 Washington and need to go on the offensive in 2007 to ensure that Net
 Neutrality becomes law. 

 That's why your active involvement is so important. The more an organized
 public is engaged in the policy-making process, the more likely the Internet
 that Congress shapes will serve the people, not just powerful corporations. 

 If we keep up this fight, the era of corrupt media policy will soon come to
 an end. 

 Onward, 

 Timothy Karr
 Campaign Director 
 Free Press
 SavetheInternet.com
 tkarr@freepress.net 

 P.S. To support our coalition work, please give to the Save the
 <https://secure.freepress.net/05/net_neutrality>  Internet Ad Fund

</blockquote>


Distributed poC TINC:

Jay Sulzberger <secretary@lxny.org>
Corresponding Secretary LXNY
LXNY is New York's Free Computing Organization.
http://www.lxny.org