Political Quotes

“it's Christmas in August in Washington. On the surface, the Communications Act of 1995 looks like a Christmas gift to the people and the communications industries. You've heard the buzz words: competition, lower rates, and more choices. But a closer look reveals another story. While the cable provisions in the bill will give a sweet gift to the cable industry, the American consumer, and especially those in rural America, will wake up on Christmas morning to nothing more than less competition, higher cable rates, and less choice. The bill as it stands immediately deregulates rate controls on small cable systems--those which serve an average of almost 30 percent of cable subscribers in America and account for at least 70 percent of all cable systems. This bill discourages competition in these markets because it deregulates these cable companies regardless of whether they face substantial competition in the marketplace. In some cases, the bill immediately removes cable rate controls for systems serving over 50 percent of subscribers. In my home State of Tennessee, cable systems reaching more than 30 percent of subscribers, or 348,027 subscribers, would see immediate deregulation, and these subscribers would see nothing but higher rates and no choice. That's the reason I am proud to support the Markey-Shays cable amendment to the Communications Act of 1995.”