FCC Commissioner speaks out against the Federal Government regulating the internet

   Barack Obama has been urging the FCC to reclassify the internet as a “Title II” utility which would place it in the same category as telephones, television, and radio. If this is done the FCC would then have the ability to push Federal regulations on the internet.

  While we might give this idea the benefit of the doubt and say this is a benign effort at ensuring fairness (I am not sure I am willing to do that) this will open up the door to more burdensome regulations and who knows what it will lead to in the future. Simply put–I do  not trust the Federal government.

  The reclassification of the internet has been met with resistance from certain groups but on Wednesday it was met with skepticism from what I consider to be an unlikely source–none other than the Commissioner of the FCC, Michael O’Rielly.

  Here is more:

Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) Michael O’Rielly criticized recent calls from the White House for the commission to begin federal regulation of Internet services.

Appearing at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) on Wednesday, O’Rielly said that what the White House wants the commission to do is either bad for the economy or contrary to the law.

“The foundation of the U.S. economy is for private companies to offer products and services  — not government-sponsored companies,” O’Rielly said.

“Whether federal regulation would be of value, he said, “is something I have to step back from a bit. The question is whether I at the FCC have the authority to overturn… law.”

  Of course we have already seen that Barack Obama has no problem using Executive Orders to overturn law, even after he admitted (in the case of immigration) that he does not have the power to do so, so take this for what it is worth. If he is unwilling to do so I am sure the President will take matters into his own hands…

  Also according to Michael O’Rielly the President is misleading the people when he claims State regulations make it difficult for States to set up their own internet services:

“I challenge everyone to cite specific state laws that proponents [of federal involvement] oppose,” O’Rielly said. He explained that in many states, statutes simply require municipalities to hold referendums before using public funds to provide Internet services.

“That’s called democracy,”

  As for the specific issue of reclassifying the internet Michael O’Rielly claims if this it done it will cost us all more money due to new taxes which will be applied to the internet.

O’Rielly argued that reclassification would also increase costs for consumers.

Companies that fall under Title II classification are required to pay into a federal “Universal Service Fund” (USF). O’Rielly pointed out that there is consensus among experts that the fee would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

As a result, he said, some consumers who currently have Internet service would then find it unaffordable.

  I do not think that I am stepping out on a limb to claim that most Middle Class families have the internet in their homes so how can Michael O’Rielly’s claim possibly be true? After all Barack Obama did promise not to raise our taxes one thin dime…

  Will anyone be surprised if Michael O’Rielly suddenly finds himself the subject of an IRS audit?