Opposing Bells

[rd@cottonwood.com (Rick Dahlgren)]

A new coalition has emerged called iadvance.org funded by Bell Atlantic,
SBC and others.  Former WH Press Sec McCurry and Former Rep Molinari are
fronting this group which has come out in support of a bill (to be
introduced later this week in the house) that would both squelch open cable
access by law while liberally easing regulations that safeguard against
Bells in the provision of data services.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone!  These groups are getting
confusing.  

US West is for open access (except in Omaha) and supporting OpenNet with
BIGGG BUCKSSS while SBC and Bell Atlantic are weighing in against open
access.

In the meantime lawmakers are working like crazy to give away all hope of
competition in any form with the two "last mile" wireline monopolies (phone
AND cable).

The checks must really be flying.

I'm also declaring right now that I want to claim whatever percent is
allowed by law for recovery of the unpaid capital gains that the IRS
inappropriately waived in the US West inc tax-free, IRS exempted spin off
of US West Communications and US West Media Group.  Both were subs to Inc
and cap gains obligations were waived by the IRS....sticking the rest of
the US taxpayers with that much more to make up.

The IRS must also be in charge of calendars as well because Interactive
Week reported that the Y2K leap year status enjoys a double exception in
that leap year (every year divisible by four) does not occur on centennial
years like 1800, 1900 etc. except every 400 years at which time there is a
leap day...like in the year 2000.  The fear is that programmers may not
know about enough of the exceptions....like the centennial exception but
not the 400 yr. double exception.

In this case, be ingorant of both would be the best course.

Rick Dahlgren
Cottonwood Communications
rd@cottonwood.com