For all of us that live in the 20th and 21st districts of Texas (San Antonio) our congressmen, Charles Gonzalez and Lamar Smith, voted against the amendment to bill HR 5252 which would have guaranteed internet neutrality. In doing so they ultimately gave the telecoms permission to create a virtual fast-lane for companies with the purse to pay their prices, leaving everyone else, blogs included, to fend for ourselves.
This is a very, very bad thing people.
Let me say that again, in even more succinct terms: We’re fucked.
I’ve already called Congressman Gonzalez’s district office to verify his vote and express my dismay, and written a letter to Congressman Smith’s. I encourage you do to the same.
For God’s sake, get involved. They think that constituents either don’t care or don’t understand the issue, so they vote in favor of the telecoms that’ve spent billions lobbying Washington.
Dammit, don’t let’em throw a monkey-wrench in the net, too.