[Nfbc-info] FW: FW: Don't let big telecom gut an important lifeline to California's poorest families

Wed Aug 14 17:14:07 UTC 2013

I cannot believe it!  This bill would adversely impact disabled citizens. 
Thoughts?

Original Message: 
From: "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
To: ccb-l at ccbnet.org
Subject: FW: Don't let big telecom gut an important lifeline to
California's poorest families
Date: 
8/14/2013 12:13:52 PM

I cannot believe it!  This bill would adversely impact disabled citizens.

Thoughts?

Original Message: 
From: "Jordan Krueger, CREDO Action" <act at credoaction.com>
To: "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
Subject: Don't let big telecom gut an important lifeline to California's
poorest families
Date: 
Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:13:21 +0000

      Stop AT&T from raising rates on California's poorest families

   The petition reads:
   "The Legislature should not be passing bills that enrich AT&T and
   undermine important California regulatory powers. Oppose AB 1407 and
allow
   the Public Utilities Commission to complete its process to reform
   LifeLine."

   Automatically add your name:

   [1]Sign the petition |>

   Dear Eric,

                                                   [2]Stand up to AT&T.

   AT&T is trying to raise rates on California's poorest residents who
are
   served by the LifeLine program, which provides low-cost phone lines to
   families in poverty, and prevent the California Public Utilities
   Commission (CPUC) from using its oversight powers to regulate the
   program's rates.

   Telecom companies like AT&T are required by state law to add a small
   surcharge on their monthly bills to ratepayers in order to subsidize
   low-cost service for the state's poorest residents. Currently,
families
   enrolled in the LifeLine program pay just $7 a month for basic
landline
   service - a rate set by the CPUC.

   Here's what the bill AT&T is trying to ram through the Legislature
would
   do: California's poorest residents would lose their subsidized
landline
   service, which is currently billed at a reasonable rate set by the
CPUC.
   They would instead get a voucher valued at just $11.85 - essentially a
   coupon they could use to offset some of the cost of mobile service or a
   landline. But because the CPUC has no control over telecom's regular
   rates, companies like AT&T could raise rates or add service fees to
such
   an extent that the $11.85 voucher wouldn't guarantee affordable
service
   for our lowest-income citizens.^1

   [3]Tell your California legislator: Stand up to AT&T and oppose the
bill
   to dismantle the LifeLine program for our state's poorest residents.
Click
   here to sign the petition automatically.

   The Democratic-controlled Legislature is poised to cave to AT&T.

   The bill just passed out of our state's Senate Energy, Utilities and
   Communications Committee is disguised as an update to the program, but
it
   really amounts to a big-telecom hijacking of LifeLine. Literally, the
bill
   will take away the California Public Utilities Commission's ability to
set
   rates and give that power to AT&T and other phone companies.^2

   LifeLine users are some of the state's poorest residents, who might
not
   have access to emergency services or a reliable way to communicate
with
   their place of employment without LifeLine. And the CPUC is already in
the
   process of overhauling the LifeLine program to allow families access
to
   low-cost mobile phone service. New regulations are expected early next
   year. But by pushing this bill - which bars the CPUC from regulating
   prices-through the Legislature, big telecom companies like AT&T may be
   able to preempt regulation and avoid one of the few remaining areas
where
   the CPUC has oversight powers over telecoms.^3

   We have to stop this outrageous end-run around the California Public
   Utilities Commission.

   Tell your California legislator: Stand up to AT&T and oppose the bill
to
   dismantle the LifeLine program for our state's poorest residents.
Click
   the link below to sign the petition automatically:

   [4]http://act.credoaction.com/go/1589?t=1001&akid=8636.4918114.o1V8bt

   AARP, the California Labor Federation, and the Consumer Federation of
   California all oppose the bill, among others. And the Los Angeles Times
   said it would be "reckless to go as far as [this] bill would."^4

   The backlash against this bill is growing. If legislators hear enough
   outcry, it may be possible to slow this bill before the end of the
session
   and allow the CPUC enough time to complete its new proposal.

   Thank you for speaking out for families in poverty.

   Jordan Krueger, Campaign Manager
   [5]CREDO Action from Working Assets

   Automatically add your name:

   [6]Sign the petition |>

   [7]Learn more about this campaign

   1. Marc Lifsher, "[8]State Senate panel backs AT&T in clash on
LifeLine
   phone service." Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2013.
   2. ibid
   3. Randy Shaw, "[9]Growing Opposition to AT&T's Attack on LifeLine
   Program." California Progress Report, August 9, 2013.
   4. The Times editorial board, "[10]The right to phone service." Los
   Angeles Times, July 16, 2013.

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