shouting loudly

Why pay the FCC? Verizon writes the regs

This story at CNet makes me want to hurl–not the coverage, but the content.

Verizon basically went to the FCC, said “we want to play the business broadband game by different rules,” and got what they wanted. Chairman Kevin Martin just sat on their petition and it therefore passed. Like a President with a bill passed by both houses of Congress, silence = consent, and Verizon’s petition therefore sailed through without objection.

Well, the two Democratic members of the FCC–Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein–objected. But they’re only 50% of the Commission. Why should their votes count when Martin and Verizon are in such clear agreement?