FCC Head: Cities Block Cable Competition

By JOHN DUNBAR, Associated Press Writer
    WASHINGTON - Cable television rates keep going up while prices for other communications services are going down, says the nation's chief communications regulator, and he blames local governments for blocking competition.

On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on whether to make it easier for competitors to obtain cable franchises.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, in speeches over the past few weeks, has said local franchise authorities at times "obstruct and in some cases completely derail" new attempts to bring video competition to an area.

               MORE HERE

Congress Inaction Will Cut Funding

   As you know, the Dump and Run congress adjourned a week ago before finishing its job. We all wanted them to go anyway but they left a mess for the adult congress that takes over in a few weeks. They didn't finish alot of spending bills that keep the government running and the reverberations will be many.

    The GOP left just enough money to run the government going thru mid-February  which isn't even half way through fiscal year 2007.

  Read more from The Washington Post HERE.

    It is worth noting that due to this dilemma, the Democrats will have to be cutting funding for some good and not so good programs. I think that is what the GOP Do Nothing Congress had in mind when they left.

   We will be reminding voters of such things as this when the 2008 elections come around. We did pay them to do a job which they did not do well and which they did not finish!!          Michael d.