Sorry I’m behind, but there is a _lot_ going on. First, the good news: as reported Muniwireless and elsewhere, the Indiana anti-muni bill has gone down in flaming defeat!
Score one for the good guys and reinvigorate my faith in democracy. For more, see below . . .
Bluntly put, SBC and its wholly owned subsidiary Rep. L. Jack Lutz, were figuratively chased out by an angry mob of citizens standing up for their rights. As I wrote previously, this bill was awful, with no justification for it other than it might make SBC work for a living. Although, as this CNet article makes clear, the shmooicide squad remains steadfast and unrepentant (and therefore we must remain on guard).
What we can do in Indiana, we can do in Iowa, Oregon, and even Texas and Nebraska. Indiana is a solidly “red” state. It wasn’t even in the list of battleground states. But its citizens came to the same conclusion as such “liberal” organizations as Free Press and Common Cause. This isn’t a “Red” v. “Blue” issue. This is about values- are we free citizens or corporate serfs.
I believe the majority of Americans share a common value that, as citizens, we should have the right to do as we wish without going on bended knee to corporate masters to beg as if our freedom were a matter of grace, rather than a matter of right. Last week, the good citizens of Indiana reminded their state legislators of that. No matter how much money you may get from ILECs for your campaign fund, you still need voters to vote for you. The state legislators of Indiana got it. Lets see if the legislatures in Iowa, Illinois, and the other states with these bills pending get the message.
Stay tuned . . . .
Well bravo to the good citizens of Indiana, and a double-bravo to you, Harold. I’ve no doubt that your analysis, which I’m proud to host here, was a significant factor in this victory.
Now on to the other states.
And thank you.