roundtable: Telecom Jobs: Are They Coming or Going?

roundtable: Telecom Jobs: Are They Coming or Going?

Telecom Jobs: Are They Coming or Going?

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS (fins@access.digex.net)
Thu, 3 Aug 1995 16:21:39 -0400 (EDT) 

Date: Thu, 3 Aug 1995 16:21:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
To: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
Subject: Telecom Jobs: Are They Coming or Going?
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950803161734.6697B-100000@access2.digex.net>


=====================================================================
FINS SPECIAL REPORT                                    August 3, 1995
=====================================================================

TELECOM JOBS: ARE THEY COMING OR GOING?
Myth and Reality Find Each Other in the Dead of Night

Washington, DC--In the dead of night debate on teleco reform, last night,
that left some of the members of Congress outraged and ashamed, we were 
able to learn what the claimed benefits to Americans this legislation 
would bring, and the basis for this claim.  Rep. Jack Fields (R-TX), 
chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance set 
the record straight on these two matters when he told the members:

	Mr, Chairman, I am here tonight to tell our colleagues that we
	cannot on August 3, 1995, predict what the technologies and 
	applications of those technologies would be next month, let
	alone next year.  I do firmly believe, however, that this
	legislation will unleash such competitive forces that our
	country will see more ,technological development and deployment
	in the next 5 years than we have seen this entire century.
	I firmly believe that this legislation will result in tens of
	thousands of jobs being created and tens of billions of dollars
	being invested in infrastructure and technology in an almost
	contemporaneous manner when signed by the President.

   So there is no predictable basis for the claim of job creation
purportedly to come from telecom reform, outside of Mr. Fields fervent but
utterly unsupported belief.  On the other hand we do have concrete
evidence of what profits are accruing to industry moguls as a direct
result of the proposed legislation. 

  In this morning's New York Times we see a story about the 20% rise of
MCI profits, together with an indication of the companies plans to cut
staff by 7%, "dismissing 2,500 to 3,000 employees ... by the end of the
year."  Along with the rise in profits and sharp cutback in employment in
the telephone industry, multibillion dollar windfall profits are going to
the broadcast moguls, on the expectation that the national consolidation
authorized by the bill will allow a few great oligopolies to control the
flow of information and communications in the country.  The sale of ABC
and CBS shows this trend quite clearly. 

  Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), got it right last night when she told members 
of Congress "There have been times when I have been very ashamed of this 
House ... I feel the same way this evening on this particular bill.  I 
feel muzzled as a Member of this body, and I am ashamed of this 
institution.  Kaptur added:

	This bill is not going to result in full competition.  Are we
	kidding ourselves?  It is going to result in full concentration, 
	and the only question I have in my mind is how fast a pace that
	will occur in. 

	In my district, what will happen is the single newspaper, that is 
	owned by a very wealthy and well-meaning family, will soon buy
	out the television stations, because they already own the cable 
	stations anyway.  They will probably go after all the radio stations.
	I really do believe in free press in this country and I really do
	believe in competition.  This bill will not result in that.

	So as I leave this evening to drive home in my car, I find a 
	complete abomination, and I am ashamed of this House this 
	evening.  With a $1 trillion industry, with the rights of free
	press at stake, and competition in every one of our communities
	hanging in the balance, to be forced into this girdle, where we 
	are allowed 30 minutes during general debate, and then we will be 
	put off on three little amendments tomorrow, maybe we will
	devote an hour or less to each of those, this is not the best
	that is in us.

	I feel tonight as I did during the savings and loan debate ... that
	we are truly being muzzled, and that is not what representative 
	democracy is all about.  I feel sorry for America tonight.
	

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>

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