I have been wondering why so many seem to have a problem figuring out 'what the problem is'. I think it might be because no clear analogy has been put forward, so I though I would give it a try.
Suppose that Acme Construction were given a contract to build the only highway from Key West to Key Largo. They were to own and maintain the highway and charge tolls to pay for it.
Now suppose that they were to claim that, in order to afford the highway building and maintainance, they had to be able to charge whatever they wanted and to charge extra for priority services to companies that needed priority services. It sounds reasonable enough. If you are a sixty foot truck you use more road and cause more maintenance work than a 16 foot car, so of course you should pay more. How can anyone argue with that? Nobody is arguing with that! What they are asking is control over which sixty foot trucks get on the highway! What they are asking for is the right to say "Sysco Foods pays us two dollars a mile to have the highway to themselves, so I guess American Foods will have to travel by barge. Oh and you individuals ... we'll let you know when Sysco doesn't need the highway and you can use it then."
We would never put up with something like that on a regular highway and there is no reason why we should allow it on the 'information highway' either.
Contact your Senator and Representative, write your newspaper, and 'blog on' because money buys politicians as long as they think they can get away with it and be around for the next big fix. AT&T, the 'Baby Bells', Verizon, and the like have the money and are spending it. If the politicians think we aren't watching they will sell us.
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