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Senate Bill 66 Crafted By Qwest to Kill UTOPIA

by Peter Ashdown

Two years ago, the Utah Legislature passed a bill that prevented local municipalities from competing directly with providers of internet, telephone, and video services. However, they left open the possibility that cities could build municipal networks that would then in turn be leased to providers of such services. Now Qwest is trying to change the rules again by helping to draft a bill that stops cities from backing municipal bonds to build such networks. Senate Bill 66, drafted by Senator Bill Hickman (R) St. George was hand crafted by Qwest to protect their monopoly and kill the UTOPIA project.

Qwest’s actions are expected but ironic, the very network they are protecting for themselves was originally built directly with taxpayer funds. What has been done since then was constructed on the backs of captive customers. How Senator Hickman expect cities to build fiber networks without backing municipal bonds is a mystery. Maybe he doesn’t and that suits Qwest’s agenda just fine.

Please let your Senators and Representatives know what you think of their protection of the incumbent monopoly:

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Posted by windley on February 2, 2004 09:48 AM

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Comments

How can we find out how much Hickman was paid by Qwest's lobbyist to submit this bill?

Posted by: The Wise One at February 2, 2004 10:17 AM

I think that the local governments should be allowed to build their own networks? if its their money why not allow them to spend it the way they want? For example: a lot of city governments sponsor building airports, malls, and a lot of the time sponsoring new stores coming in the areas buy giving them a great deal of money?

And why protect a big monoploies? If de-reg was made to make room for others then if we stop local government then we are only stopping De-Reg and other monoplies will see that and start limiting CLECs and others in the areas that they service from offering the same service.

As Americans we have the right of Free Enterprise. Why let the government take that right back away from us when we were given it decades ago?


Kyle Traxler
Ohio

Posted by: Kyle Traxler at February 3, 2004 02:03 PM

Well the St. George Spectrum answered my question today. Hickman received $250 directly from the Qwest PAC, and another $1,000 from the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, which is funded by the Qwest PAC. Every man has his price, and Senator Hickman's evidently is $1,250. What a bargain.

Posted by: The Wise One at February 6, 2004 01:18 PM