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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2011)
opinion Comcast, FCC Too Cozy for Comfort “challenging People to shape a better future now” b ernie f OsTer Founder/Publisher b Obbie D Ore f OsTer executive editor T eD b anks advertising Manager J erry f OsTer account executive L isa L Oving news editor b rian s TimsOn reporter D aviD k iDD graphic Designer m Onica J. f OsTer Seattle office Coordinator J uLie k eefe s usan f rieD Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 the Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub - lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of the Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2011 the Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. knowing What’s important can change your Life! Subscribe to The Skanner – don’t miss an issue! Please sign me up for: q 1 year $74 q 2 year $140 q New Subscription q Renewal ________________________ name _________________ address _________________ city _________________ state ______ ZiP ________ Phone Mail with check or money order to: The Skanner P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 I n January, the Federal Co m mu n i c a t i o n s Commission approved a controversial deal allowing telecommunications giant Comcast to buy broadcaster NBC. Last week, FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, one of the strongest advocates for the $13.7 billion deal, announced she was leav- ing the FCC for a top lobbying job with Comcast—NBC. Talk about a hit and run. Here at The Skanner News, it’s hard for us to believe that the fix wasn’t in from the start. It’s hard to believe that Attwell Baker had no idea that she was going to work for this company within four months. We suspect this was prearranged early in the game. Federal Comm uni cations Commissioners are supposed to protect the interests of the American public. They are charged with upholding laws designed to curb monopolies, promote fair competition and prevent industry abuses. That’s why it matters when a commis- sioner supports policy that ben- efits a giant corporation, and then moves into a highly-paid position with that corporation. Something here looks and smells…. What’s to stop future FCC Commissioners from doing favors for the corporations? After all, a few months down f rOm THe P ubLisHer Bernie Foster the line, they’ll be the next ones in line for an industry lobbying job. Ms. Attwell Baker is hardly the first person to skip through the revolving door between a feder- al agency and the industry it Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission passed a rule that commis- sioners cannot lobby for indus- try companies for at least one year after their service. I know because I was one of the Commissioners who made that rule. And we are talking about fairly small budget local gov- ernment here. Not a national agency with the power to approve multi-billion dollar deals. The Comcast-NBC deal struck many consumer advo- cates as counter to the public interest for several reasons. Self-interest tied to corporate interests makes one unfit to serve the public regulates. Former FCC chair Michael Powell now earns mil- lions as the top lobbyist for National Cable and Tele com - muni cations Association, for example. And similar sleazy stories have emerged from the FDA, the Department of the Interior, the EPA and…the list goes on. It’s beyond time for Congress to regulate the regulators. We need a law that makes it illegal for regulators to work for any company they regulate for at least two years. Here in Oregon, the High-speed internet is now a utility, as crucial to families, businesses and communities as gas or electricity. But as pre- viously reported in The Skanner News, a small group of telecommunication compa- nies (Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable) own most of the cables that deliver this service. And in many parts of the country consumers have no choice of broadband provider, because one compa- ny with no competition serves that region. Now imagine that company also owns its own content – as Comcast now owns NBC. Do you really believe that they won’t be tempted to do anything at all to prioritize NBC content over competitor and independently created content? Ms. Atwell Baker couldn’t see any problem. Instead she argued that consumers would see benefits from the Comcast NBC merger. She said nothing about going to work for Comcast. Of course, she has a right to her opinion. Diversity of opinion is part of any democra- cy. But as an FCC regulator, she has a duty not to let the prospect of a fat corporate pay- check influence her vote. Frankly, it is now hard to believe she was not just voting the industry ticket all the way along. Apologists for this corrupt system argue that it is the only way to keep the brightest and best in government. We say: anyone whose self-interest is tied to corporate interests is unfit to serve the public. Congress should act immedi- ately to shut the revolving door. Do you think Commissioner Attwell Baker was too cozy with Comcast when she voted in their favor? Yes or No. You can post your comments on www.theskanner.com Tuition Equity Will Make Oregon Stronger I magine you are the child of hard-working parents. You par- ticipate in school activities, achieve academic distinction and contribute to your local communi- ty. Your dream is to continue your education by going to college. But through a simple twist of fate, you are undocumented. Under current Oregon law, you must pay out-of- state tuition regardless of how long you have attended school in Oregon. With out-of-state fees as much as three times the cost of in- state tuition, college is out of the question. On March 29, 2011, the Oregon State Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 742 (Tuition Equity), biparti- san legislation that will grant in- state tuition to students regardless of their immigration status. Under the bill, students must attend school in the U.S. for at least five years, attend school in Oregon for at least three concurrent years and graduate from an Oregon high school. The bill now moves on to the State House for debate and final vote. Rick (not his real name), a stu- dent at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC), offers insight into why this measure is so impor- tant. Rick and his mother immi- grated to Oregon when he was 12. He dreams of attending a four-year school once he has completed his two years at MHCC. He is uncer- tain how he will manage with costs so high. For now, Rick intends to take one class at a time. For many of Rick’s friends, how- ever, this is not the case. As Rick Page 4 The Portland and Seattle Skanner may 18, 2011 c OmmuniTy c OLLege ‘Ski’ Sygielski said, “A lot of friends in high school just give up. They know they won’t be able to afford an education. If there was some kind of hope, they would be more encouraged to complete high Many experts have indicated that the Tuition Equity bill would, in fact, increase the revenue for state universities, since it would open enrollment to a larger group of stu- dents. There is also concern that grant- ing tuition equity would cause our public universities to be inundated with undocumented students and make admission for legal residents Young, undocumented people brought here as children deserve to pay in-state tuition school.” A key argument against Tuition Equity is that granting in-state tuition to undocumented students equates to a subsidy that would more restrictive. According to the National Immigration Law Center, the experience of states that have already passed similar measures indicates this is not the case. What ... it would ensure that if students meet the requirements for acceptance, they would pay tuition comparable to other residents. The bill would merely provide equal access cost the state unjustified expense. The Tuition Equity bill would not provide funding. Instead, it would ensure that if students meet the requirements for acceptance, they would pay tuition comparable to other residents. The bill would merely provide equal access. does happen, however, is that the percentage of local students pursu- ing college degrees increases. This is good for the state. We long ago recognized the right to equal access to K-12 stu- dents regardless of immigration status (Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, 1982). Tuition Equity simply extends this access by making higher education more accessible to undocumented students. Oregon’s employment base stands to become better educated and more competitive, our universities benefit through increased rev- enues and our overall tax base increases due to increased earning potential. It is now our turn to fol- low the lead of the 10 states which have already enacted similar legis- lation. Last but not least, providing tuition equity is simply the right thing to do. The children of Oregon’s undocumented residents are not here out of choice. For many, this is the only home they have ever known. They are invest- ed in our society and our lives. The hundreds of students who made their voices known as the Senate debated the Tuition Equity bill were not asking for a handout. They were merely asking for an opportunity to continue their edu- cation so they can move a little closer to fulfilling their dreams and contributing to the state they call home — in other words, to help us all become a little better off. Please let your legislators know that you support the Tuition Equity bill. Ask them to vote “yes” when it comes time for them to make their voices heard on this important legislation. John J. ‘Ski’ Sygielski, Mt. hood Community College
