Senate Vote Puts Net Neutrality Rules in Jeopardy

Consumers Union Urges Senators to Support an Open Internet
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the Senate gears up to vote on a proposal to repeal the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet rules, Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, sent a letter to Capitol Hill yesterday urging lawmakers to reject the proposal and keep the Internet open for consumers.

“The FCC’s Open Internet rules simply make it harder for internet providers to play favorites by speeding up or slowing down content over their networks. Consumers expect and deserve to be able to freely surf the internet. To do away with these rules goes against the very nature of the Internet’s open marketplace,” said Parul P. Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union.

The Congressional Review Act before the Senate (S.J. Res. 6) would eliminate the current FCC rules and hobble the FCC when it comes to keeping the Internet open. President Obama yesterday announced that he would veto the Senate legislation, saying an open Internet is critical to job creation, economic growth, and global competitiveness.

Desai said, “The overwhelming majority of stakeholders -- consumers, small businesses, unions, religious organizations and minority groups -- agree that the Open Internet rules are needed and that the FCC has the authority to implement and enforce these rules. We urge the Senate to vote no on this proposal. Rejecting this measure would ensure consumers could continue to use the Internet equally.”

For a full copy of the letter, please contact David Butler or Kara Kelber of Consumers Union.

### Contact:
David Butler or Kara Kelber, 202-462-6262

A New Year’s Resolution: We Will Make Our Voices Heard in 2011!

By James J. Gormley

Courtesy of NOW Foods

The late William F. Buckley, Jr. ─ yes, the William F. Buckley of Firing Line, The National Review and the editorial column “On the Right” ─ once wrote:
 

“We are all increasingly anxious in America to be unobtrusive, we are reluctant to make our voices heard, hesitant about claiming our right; we are afraid that our cause is unjust, or that if it is not unjust, that it is ambiguous; or if not even that, that it is too trivial to justify the horrors of a confrontation with Authority; we will sit in an oven or endure a racking headache before undertaking a head-on, I'm-here-to-tell-you complaint.”

In addition to being hesitant to speak up about issues that are important to us ─ such as challenges to health and health-freedom on Capitol Hill ─ very often people do not know how to start or where to start in order to tackle these issues.

Here are a few of the main reasons why people don’t take action on health-freedom issues (including battles relating to dietary supplements):

1. They are not even aware of the issue.
2. They are aware of the issue, but they are not sure the source (organization or website) from which they learned of the issue is credible or well informed.
3. They are aware of the issue, and they are sure of the source, but they don’t know what the next step to take is, whether it is a phone call to a town, city, county, state or U.S. elected official.
4. They are aware of the all of the above, but they assume that “other people” will call in or write or act, so they don’t have to because others are presumably already taking action.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION NO. 1:

I WILL BE AWARE OF THE ISSUES

It is our responsibility as health conscious consumers and natural products advocates to regularly visit the websites and blogs of those organizations that are the most credible (more on this in resolution number 2 and the Gormley Take-Away, below), to sign up for e-newsletters and regular updates, and to friend or “like” those organizations on Facebook and Twitter. Join these organizations’ discussion groups, and regularly participate in posting comments on issues and posts. Ask questions, learn, ask more questions. Soon you will be a super-informed advocate.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION NO. 2:
I WILL GET MY INFORMATION FROM HEALTH-FREEDOM ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE CREDIBLE AND EFFECTIVE

Aside from organizations that are shills for big money interests in one segment of industry ─ not common, to begin with, and less likely now given stricter FCC rules re blogs ─ most health-advocacy and health-freedom organizations are well-meaning although not necessarily well informed. Sometimes a health-freedom group will intentionally use scare tactics to get consumers activated on a specific issue or campaign, never a good or ethical approach. If an organization consistently (or constantly) sends out “The sky is falling” announcements and calls to action, this group may be non-credible and not trustworthy.

I remember one group’s representative with whom I sat down at the July 2005 Codex meeting in Rome coming out with a press release (and e-mail blast) saying: “All supplements are now banned!!!” I challenged the person about this after I saw the blast go out and asked why his group said that, knowing full well that this is not at all what went down. He said that his organization thought it was important to get people activated! (I assume to donate money to an emergency “battle” fund). So be selective as to which groups you get your information from, especially if they are also always asking you to donate money and are always in “crisis mode.”

RESOLUTION NO. 3:
I WILL CONSIDER TAKING INFORMED, CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION ON ISSUES AFFECTING ME, MY FAMILY, MY COMMUNITY AND MY COUNTRY

If we are linked in to credible health advocacy organizations, most likely they will regularly recommend specific actions, which will typically involve reading an issue summary and then submitting on online letter (or petition signature) to elected officials related to the question at issue. Typically, by filling out an online form with one’s Zip code and other contact information, the correct officials’ names will be automatically generated. However, another way to verify who your legislators are (at the state and national level) is to visit USA.gov. For non-elected officials (such as at the FDA or FTC), you can contact the agencies directly.

RESOLUTION NO. 4:
I WILL NOT ASSUME THAT OTHERS WILL TAKE ACTION BUT WILL TAKE ACTION MYSELF ON IMPORTANT ISSUES IN 2011
Just as with voting, being an informed, active and participatory citizen is essential to protecting and advancing democracy. As Mr. Buckley sagely noted, we must be obtrusive, we must be committed and we must be assured in claiming our rights. By being knowledgeable and informed about the issues, we do not need to worry about our message or our cause being construed as ambiguous. We must question “Authority” since authority is merely power lent to agencies and officials to carry out the public will and to fulfill the public good.

Gormley Take-Away:

Some reputable organizations to consider finding out more about include (but are not limited to):
Alliance for Natural Health/AAHF
Citizens for Health
Citizens Speaking Out for Health
National Health Federation
Organic Consumers Association

Save the Internet

By James J. Gormley

On behalf of Citizens for Health, an IRS-recognized not-for-profit organization with approximately 100,000 individual consumer members across the United States, I ask you to join with me and with FreePress in stating your strongest possible support for Net Neutrality (FCC Docket No. 09-191).

Visit this link: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list to file comments directly with the FCC. Once you are there scroll down (it should be near the top) to docket number 09-191 In the Matter of Preserving the Open Internet Broadband industry Practices. Once you click on the 09-191 it will shoot you to a page that already has all the docket details etc. this is the short form that you can use to easily file your comments.

The current Google censorship situation in China is a perfect example of why a 100 percent free and open Internet serves Americans and advances democracy.

Whether it is governments, corporations, advertisers or lobbyists (contributors), none of these groups should have any influence over a 100 percent free and open Internet that encourages the free-est possibly communication of ideas, opinions, facts, information, opportunities, and health information as well, whether it is health information about (or critical of) pharmaceuticals, diet, food, exercise, alternative medicine, herbalism, traditional healing traditions --- it should all be equally available and equally accessible to Americans.

Allowing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the improper ability to slow down, hinder or block certain information (for example information that does not help their advertising partners) would be an outrageous and unacceptable violation of our Constitutional rights and would be wrong, unethical, anti-American and anti-democracy.

Filings by ISPs dare to suggest that this is about dictating to industry or assigning borders to an evolving medium --- that could not be further from the truth.

In point of fact, industry is attempting to gain greater control over what is, for now, a free highway of information and ideas; consumers are merely trying to protect this medium from telephone, wireless and cable companies’ efforts to turn this into an issue of virtual “eminent domain.” If these corporations and their lobbies are successful, it would make a mockery of this freedom and would not only violate article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but would, as noted, violate the U.S. Constitution.

For all of these reasons, and many more, I, on behalf of the 100,000 members of Citizens for Health, ask you to call on the FCC to do the right thing: to pass strong and broad Net Neutrality rules.

Doing this will represent one of the most important regulatory protections any Federal agency can pass this decade, and perhaps even this century --- it will represent a legacy advancing democracy and protecting consumers for us, our children and future generations.