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7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017 Salmon: ‘I think FCC chairman sets out to scrap open internet access rules there’s a lot of By RYAN NAKASHIMA and MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press MENLO PARK, Calif. — The chairman of the Fed- eral Communications Com- mission set out Tuesday to scrap rules around open inter- net access, a move that would allow giant cable and telecom companies to throttle broad- band speeds and favor their own services if they wish. Ajit Pai followed through on a pledge to try to repeal “net neutrality” regulations enacted under the Obama administration. The cur- rent rules treat internet ser- vice providers such as Com- cast, AT&T and Verizon as if they were utility compa- nies that provide essential services, like electricity. The rules mandate that they give equal access to all online con- tent and apps. Pai said those rules dis- courage investments that could provide even better and faster online access. Instead, he said new rules would force ISPs to be transparent about their services and manage- ment policies, and then would let the market decide. “Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet,” Pai said in a statement. Pai distributed his alterna- tive plan to other FCC com- missioners Tuesday in prepa- ration for a Dec. 14 vote. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Federal Communication Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai speaks during a February 2015 open hearing and vote on “Net Neutrality” in Washington. Pai promised to release his entire proposal Wednes- day. Although the FCC’s two Democrats said they will oppose the proposal, the repeal is likely to prevail as Republicans dominate 3-2. The vote for net neutrality in 2015 was also along party lines, but Democrats domi- nated then. Equal treatment for all web traffi c has been a fundamental principle of the internet since its creation but companies have increasingly put their thumb on the scales of access. AT&T, for example, doesn’t count use of its streaming ser- vice DirecTV Now against wireless data caps, poten- tially making it seem cheaper to its cellphone customers than rival TV services. Rivals would have to pay AT&T for that privilege. Regulators, consumer advocates and some tech companies are concerned that repealing net neutrality will give ISPs even more power to block or slow down rival offerings. A repeal also opens the ability for ISPs to charge a company like Netfl ix for a faster path to its customers. Allowing this paid-priority market to exist could skew prices and create winners and losers among fl edgling com- panies that require a high- speed connection to end users. Pai, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said in an interview on Fox News Radio that Trump did not have any input on his proposal. Asked whether deregulation would result in higher prices and put speedy internet access out of the reach of blue-col- lar Americans, Pai said “it’s going to mean exactly the opposite.” “These heavy-handed reg- ulations have made it harder for the private sector to build out the networks especially in rural America,” Pai said. In a Wall Street Journal editorial published Tuesday, Pai cited a report by a non- profi t think tank, the Informa- tion Technology & Innovation Foundation, that said invest- ment by the dozen largest ISPs fell about 2 percent from 2015 to 2016, to $61 billion. The group didn’t link the drop solely to the stiffer rules intro- duced in 2015. The attempt to repeal net neutrality has triggered pro- tests from consumer groups and internet companies. A data fi rm called Emprata that was backed by a tele- com industry group found in August that after fi ltering out form letters, the overwhelm- ing majority of comments to the FCC — about 1.8 mil- lion — favored net neutral- ity, compared with just 24,000 who supported its repeal. Carmen Scurato, director of policy and legal affairs for the National Hispanic Media Coalition, said ISPs’ ability to impose monthly caps on data use already act to raise prices and limit access. Repealing net neutrality, she said, “is just erecting more barriers.” AT&T suit may herald a new antitrust era By TALI ARBELAP Associated Press NEW YORK — The Trump administration’s deci- sion to oppose the $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger may be clouded by suspicions of political infl uence. But con- sidered on its merits, it could mark a signifi cant departure in antitrust policy, one that might block or modify a broader set of mergers found to harm consumers. The move disconcerted both Wall Street and the tele- com and media industries, none of which expected it. Consumer groups are applaud- ing, saying it’s a good step by the Justice Department to pro- tect people from higher cable bills and ensure that web- based alternatives to TV aren’t stifl ed. (Many of the same groups, however, are also pro- testing the government’s plan, announced Tuesday, to roll back “net neutrality” rules intended to equalize access to the internet.) Matters, of course, are complicated by President Donald Trump’s long-running feud with CNN, a Time War- ner company, which Trump regularly denigrates as “fake news” and “failing.” On Tues- day, Trump called the deal “not good for the country” and said he thought it would cause prices to go up. A White House spokeswoman said Monday she wasn’t aware of any efforts to infl uence the case. The Justice Department has suggested that AT&T could resolve the case by sell- ing off DirecTV or a Time Warner business that includes CNN, according to a person familiar with the situation who couldn’t go on the record. AT&T has rejected any option that would cause it to lose con- trol of CNN. In 2011, Obama-era anti- trust regulators waved through Comcast’s acquisi- tion of NBC Universal — a deal that, like the current one, brought together a major pro- vider of television and inter- net service and an entertain- ment conglomerate. (AT&T offers wireless, home internet and TV services; Time Warner owns the Warner Bros. studio and networks including HBO, CNN and TBS.) To prevent Comcast from abusing its greater leverage, regulators imposed a host of conditions on the company. For example, Comcast had to offer its TV and movies to online video competitors at the same rates as it did to cable and satellite rivals. But this approach isn’t universally acclaimed. For one thing, conditions are typically temporary; the ones for Comcast expire next year. They also don’t funda- mentally change behavioral incentives for the company, and they require ongoing enforcement. Complaints in the past have dragged on for years. Among critics of such “behavioral commitments” is Makan Delrahim, now the Jus- tice Department’s new anti- trust chief. “The DOJ in this instance is learning from those past mistakes,” said Lina Khan, the legal policy director at the Open Markets Institute, a think tank that opposes exces- sive corporate power. Cannon Beach: ‘This is not a static, one-time decision’ Continued from Page 1A options like bonds and grants, committee member Douglas Craner said. “We want to encourage the city to look at other solu- tions,” Craner said. “We’re not wanting things to fall apart, we just don’t want it all to fall on ratepayers.” The committee also is rec- ommending the City Coun- cil phase in rate increases over fi ve years, which would mean residents would see a 35 percent and 5 percent rate increase for water and waste- water respectively in the fi rst year, and single-digit rate increases for the following four years. After fi ve years, rates would only be adjusted for infl ation. “There are things that need to get done, and I think we can do that with a lower funding level,” said Rich Bertellotti, the public works committee chairman. “We all recognize issues with how it was pre- pared, but this is an outline — not a plan to be followed like a blueprint.” Lingering issues While the committee voted to recommend approving the water and wastewater master plan and rate increases, they did so with reservations. Les Wierson, the one com- mittee member who voted against the recommendation, said there are still too many issues with the plan itself for him to support rate increases associated with it. Wierson took issue with a plan that appeared to be trying to replace an entire water sys- tem, which he deems as exces- sive, he said. “The proposed 20-year plan is very large, especially for a small city staff available to guide, inspect and approve the new construction,” Wier- son said. Craner expressed concerns that the plan lacks “schedule and implementation ability.” The committee chose to retain the current rate struc- ture, which includes an allow- ance of 400 cubic feet of water usage, after deciding the alter- native rate options provided by the consulting fi rm Civil West Engineering Services would disproportionately impact homeowners in comparison with large commercial outfi ts. The committee, however, is still recommending to the city to continue exploring more equitable rate structures that would encourage more con- servation, committee member Carolyn Propst said. “I think we should work forward with what we have, get an increase to pay for some of these projects and then take a deeper dive into structures,” Propst said. “This is not a static, one-time decision.” Arndt will provide a rec- ommendation that “follows the need of the system,” which could differ from the conclu- sion of the public works com- mittee, he said. “We aren’t trying to rebuild a whole system in 20 years. It’s good practice to replace them every 80, and to do that you have keep up the progress, little by little, so the system lasts in perpetuity,” Arndt said. good news here’ Continued from Page 1A The question of what it all means for Southern Res- ident killer whales whose population numbers remain low is another gap, said Michael Ford, director of NOAA’s Conservation Biol- ogy Division and a co-au- thor of the study. Are they being out-competed? What other stressors are at play? But, he said, “I think there’s a lot of good news here.” The recovery of marine mammal populations points toward the success of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, he said. The fact that these ani- Port: Trial between Port of Astoria and Smithart scheduled for January Continued from Page 1A A week after the verdict, McIntosh gave Param the choice between taking either the monetary damages or the lease it had sought on the hotel. Param’s attorney, Colin Hunter, said the com- pany plans to take over the hotel lease in November 2018, after the term of cur- rent operator Astoria Hos- The CHIP program pays 97 percent of the total costs of health care for the 121,000 Oregon kids covered under the program. Those children can be cov- ered by Medicaid, but will be covered at a reduced match rate of 64 percent, which would cost the state more money, accord- ing to Allen’s memo. If CHIP expires, federal funds can still pay for emer- gency services for pregnant women, such as labor and delivery, according to Ore- gon’s interim Medicaid direc- tor, David Simnitt. But the state would have to pay for other ser- vices for pregnant women cov- ered by the program, such as prenatal check-ups. The 121,000 kids cov- ered by CHIP in Oregon live in homes where incomes are between 100 and 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Ore- gon must cover about a third of those kids — those earning between 100 and 138 percent of the poverty level — under the Affordable Care Act, according to OHA. CHIP covers children whose parents make too much to qual- ify for Medicaid but still may struggle to afford coverage. Kids in households making less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for Medicaid. Brown’s directive comes as OHA struggles to get its books in order, shore up its eligibil- ity and payment systems and bounce back from a pummel- ing of negative publicity. The state overpaid Medic- aid providers by up to $74 mil- lion between 2014 and 2016, about $10 million of which it has already recouped. Allen, who took the reins Sept. 1 in the wake of a publicity scandal, identifi ed a host of other issues with payment and allocation of funds — to the tune of about $112.4 million. pitality Ventures ends. The takeover would also involve Sonpatki fulfi lling his prom- ise to pay off Smithart’s debts. The Port has also sued Smithart for back- due rent and revenue sharing. The case was put on hold until after Param’s lawsuit was resolved. A trial between the Port and Smithart is sched- uled for January. C onsult a P rofessional is the best way Q: What to keep my equipment virus free? your operating system A: 1. Keep up to date. LEO FINZI Astorias Best.com F ast , F riendly and a FFordable M-F 10-6 Sat . 11-4 77 11th Street, Suite H Astoria, OR 503-325-2300 2. Keep your apps up to date. 3. Avoid music and video sharing sites that use “torrent” sharing programs. A sharing computer that has a virus, can spread to you. Use Spotify or Pandora to listen to your favorite music. 4. Educate your family or employees to not click on email links from unusual sources. 5. Download programs from the Apple, Microsoft or Google Play stores. 6. Download programs from the Recommended Software page on our web site, AstoriasBest.com. Q: Does the Oregon Health Plan cover chirorpactic care? 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