[PLUG] [Fwd: (uswisp) Senate Bill 905 needs to be amended]

[Zot O'Connor]

For the Oregon folks, Senator Smith is on the committee. 

If you send a note (the links did not work for me), make sure you edit
the companies involved.

-----Forwarded Message-----

From: Marianne Granoff <granoff at zianet.com>
To: nmisp at nmisp.net, uswisp at lists.nm.org, nmipa at nmipa.org, aww-discuss at egroups.com, checs at checs.net, forum at lists.nm.org
Subject: (uswisp) Senate Bill 905 needs to be amended
Date: 03 May 2003 09:40:32 -0600

S.905 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 to provide a broadband Internet access tax
credit. Sponsor: Sen Rockefeller, Jay [WV] (introduced
4/11/2003), Senate, 5/2/2003,
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:s.00905:

This bill does NOT extend the tax credits to ISPs.  The language in the 
bill currently limits those eligible for the tax credit to:

  (A) cable operator,
  (B) commercial mobile service carrier,
  (C) open video system operator,
  (F) other wireless carrier,

  providing current generation broadband services or
  next generation broadband services to subscribers
  through such qualified equipment."

This essentially means that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are NOT 
eligible for the tax credit unless they are also "carriers" or cable 
companies.  The word "carrier" is specifically defined under federal law 
and NM state law to mean a business certified under the FCC or state Public 
Regulation Commission.  In other words, a phone company, whether a regular 
phone company such as Qwest or Valor, or a wireless phone company such as 
Verizon or Alltel.

ISPs who provide their own DSL, wireless services, or other broadband 
services will not get the tax credits.

The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee.

The members of the Senate Finance Committee are:

Republicans:
<http://www.senate.gov/%7Egrassley/>CHARLES GRASSLEY, IA - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm');>grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ehatch/>ORRIN G. HATCH, UT - 
www.senate.gov/~hatch/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Offices.Contact
<http://www.senate.gov/%7Enickles/>DON NICKLES, OK - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator at nickles.senate.gov');>senator at nickles.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Elott/>TRENT LOTT, MS - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senatorlott at lott.senate.gov');>senatorlott at lott.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Esnowe/>OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:olympia at snowe.senate.gov');>olympia at snowe.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ekyl/>JON KYL, AZ - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://kyl.senate.gov/con_form.htm');>kyl.senate.gov/con_form.htm

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ethomas/>CRAIG THOMAS, WY - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://thomas.senate.gov/html/contact.html');>thomas.senate.gov/html/contact.html

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Esantorum/>RICK SANTORUM, PA - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html');>santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Efrist/>BILL FRIST, TN - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm');>frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Egsmith/>GORDON SMITH, OR - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm');>gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebunning/>JIM BUNNING, KY - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:jim_bunning at bunning.senate.gov');>jim_bunning at bunning.senate.gov


Democrats:
<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebaucus/>MAX BAUCUS, MT - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html');>baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Erockefeller/>JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV  - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator at rockefeller.senate.gov');>senator at rockefeller.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Edaschle/>TOM DASCHLE, SD - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html');>daschle.senate.gov/webform.html

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebreaux/>JOHN BREAUX, LA - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator at breaux.senate.gov');>senator at breaux.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Econrad/>KENT CONRAD, ND  - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator at conrad.senate.gov');>senator at conrad.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Egraham/>BOB GRAHAM, FL - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:bob_graham at graham.senate.gov');>bob_graham at graham.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ejeffords/>JAMES M. JEFFORDS, VT 
- 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:vermont at jeffords.senate.gov');>vermont at jeffords.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebingaman/>JEFF BINGAMAN, NM - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator_bingaman at bingaman.senate.gov');>senator_bingaman at bingaman.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Ekerry/>JOHN F. KERRY, MA - 
<javascript:openwindow('mailto:john_kerry at kerry.senate.gov');>john_kerry at kerry.senate.gov

<http://www.senate.gov/%7Elincoln/>BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR - 
<javascript:openwindow('http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html');>lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html


Nine of the 21 members are from our own Qwest-served states.

I urge you all to contact your own congressional delegates ( 
http://www.senate.gov/ and select your state) and/or members of the Senate 
Finance Committee to have this bill amended to include ISPs who also 
provide broadband services, whether they are carriers or not.

You might choose to point out that when the state-based ISPs, who are 
usually in competition with the phone companies and cable companies, fail 
because these big companies get huge federal tax credits but the local ISPs 
do not - that the money and jobs that the state-based ISPs contributed to 
the state economies usually go out of state.

If there is a state association that can also write a letter - that helps also.

Forward as you feel appropriate.

Thanks,

Marianne







Marianne Granoff
Legislative Co-Chair
New Mexico Internet Professionals Association
3900 Paseo del Sol
Santa Fe, NM 87505
http://www.nmipa.org
505 345-4771 or 980-7919
granoff at zianet.com 

-- 
Zot O'Connor

http://www.ZotConsulting.com
http://www.WhiteKnightHackers.com