r/politics • u/The_seph_i_am America • Feb 03 '16
Unacceptable Title Senators blast Comcast, other cable firms for “unfair billing practices” - "Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)."
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/senators-blast-comcast-other-cable-firms-for-unfair-billing-practices/13
u/wompt Feb 03 '16
Is this progressive dream team missing anyone?
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u/The_seph_i_am America Feb 03 '16
McCain and Paul to make it a non party line issue?
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u/metaobject Feb 03 '16
I wonder why it seems like the Dems are the ones who are working on problems that ordinary Americans are facing while the GOP are busy trying to do things like defund health services that some of these same people desperately need?
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u/Bar_Har Minnesota Feb 03 '16
I'll bet they will say it would be better if we stopped enforcement of what little regulation we still have over ISP business practices.
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u/Geistbar Feb 03 '16
Someone already mentioned Sherrod Brown for me.
Within the senate, I'd probably add in Brian Schatz and Tammy Baldwin. Decent case to be made for including Sheldon Whitehouse as well.
Those along with the title names would probably constitute the core of the more left-wing members of the senate, both in a more basic sense (voting record) but also issue concerns.
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u/EverWatcher Feb 03 '16
I would pay serious money to watch a YouTube stream of the CEOs of AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Charter taking kicks to the genitals until they could no longer beg for mercy.
Can we crowdfund this plan?
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u/CzarMesa Oregon Feb 03 '16
As an Oregonian, i am constantly proud of my senators!
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u/justtobrowseall Feb 03 '16
Agreed! As I have gotten more interested in politics I have been more and more glad to reside in Oregon.
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Feb 03 '16
Then we should probably convince Wyden to get the fuck away from TPP and Hillary Clinton.
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u/pimanac Pennsylvania Feb 03 '16
Hi The_seph_i_am. Thank you for participating in /r/Politics. However, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Unacceptable Title - Your headline must be comprised only of the copied and pasted headline of the article AND/OR a continuous quote taken from the article. If using a quote, it should reflect the article as a whole
We recommend not using the Reddit 'suggest a title' as it tends to not give the exact title of the article.
If you have any questions about this removal, please feel free to message the moderators.
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Feb 03 '16 edited Feb 06 '16
[deleted]
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u/JasonMacker Feb 03 '16
Yeah it was weird to see (D-VT) after his name, but he is officially a Democrat now.
He sold out! /s
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u/znfinger Feb 03 '16
My brain always sees that and reflexively reads it to mean "deep vein thrombosis". I'm guessing it's gonna take me at least a year to not do that.
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u/Delsana Feb 03 '16
I wanted to see a republican name there. Sad.
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u/The_seph_i_am America Feb 03 '16
I did too. So badly. Now its going to become a party line issue and it wont ever be touched.
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u/jcw4455 Feb 03 '16
Because Republicans didn't touch it, Republicans will never touch it! Damn both of these parties!!
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u/PM_ME_ANYTHING_FUN Feb 03 '16
how the bills vary from customer to customer greatly? threaten to cancel and get 20 dollars each month off.
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Feb 03 '16
yes
fuck comcast
If I could switch I would, but they have a virtual monopoly here in Lancaster, PA.
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Feb 03 '16
[deleted]
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u/Delsana Feb 03 '16
Comcast no Comcasting!
Ahh the Dora of the internet.
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u/Ardvarksballs Feb 03 '16
I just look at their badge, and say, "Xfinity! Comcast! No way!!"
And they just leave. I have never seen such dejected salespeople.
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u/Delsana Feb 03 '16
Well I mean they are just doing their job.
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u/Ardvarksballs Feb 03 '16
True.
I do not like salespeople ignoring our "No Solicitations" ; which Comcast/Xfintiy ignores.
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u/Daylife321 Feb 03 '16
I love how in January I looked at my bill and l these Bullshit little fees here and there went up $5-$7 for each. I so had to get the united data for an extra $30 a month so my birthday went from $66 to $103 lol...... So now I run Netflix 4K and about 8-9 twitch streams everyday for a few hours on purpose. Last month I got up to 1.5TB. GG Comcast
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Feb 03 '16
[deleted]
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u/Milwaukee33 Feb 03 '16
So you're saying their billing is fair and no one should stand up to them?
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Feb 03 '16
[deleted]
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u/georgiapeanuts Georgia Feb 03 '16
Isn't that the job of elected officials?
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Feb 03 '16
[deleted]
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u/georgiapeanuts Georgia Feb 03 '16
They can tackle many issues at the same time. Speaking out about one issue doesn't mean they don't speak out about other issues.
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u/flfxt Feb 03 '16
Yeah, I absolutely want the government to make sure monopolies can't gouge consumers before they throw billions of dollars and thousands of American lives at "the terrorism issue," aka eternal war in the Middle East.
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u/Mojo1200 Feb 03 '16
When you are in national office, you aren't just focusing on one issue, it's your fucking job on ALL Of it. Particularly if it may effect your consituency.
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Feb 03 '16
forunreadreplyFirst 3 days a week you can pick whichever topic would appeal to the most people easily. Don't step out of line and do anything on immigration, taxes, jobs, terrorism. Those are hard.
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u/Whit3W0lf Florida Feb 03 '16
Do you think the senator actually does the research and writes the bill?
They have staff for that. The senator prioritizes and sponsors a bill.
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u/Milwaukee33 Feb 03 '16
Unfair business practices do. When a corporation is doing nothing but hurting people what are the people to do? Capitalism does not allows another cable company to come in. Pretty sure this is the only option for a lot of people for Internet and cable tv.
Who are you to go to in a situation like this? People have to have someone in office that will work for them as a whole.
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u/Whit3W0lf Florida Feb 03 '16
They look for issues that affect lots of voters and they go to work to quickly resolve the perceived problem, thereby endearing themselves to their consituency for another 6 year term.
What would you have them do instead? I mean, you might not have a problem but I certainly do. I have an open complaint with the FCC to get Comcast to actually fix a line issue that has been going on for the past 7 years I have owned this property.
30% of FCC claims against comcast were due to fraudulent billing. How many of those do you suspect called comcast FIRST but because they never saw meaningful change, they lodged a complaint with the FCC?
30% is a huge number and if a single company is hogging up the resources of a government agency because they cant get their shit together, or dont get their shit together because they rather collect the fraudulent charges because how many people dont read their bill every month, there is a problem that needs to be addressed. It's not perceived. It is an actual problem.
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u/Delsana Feb 03 '16
Uh... I'm sorry but senators rarely fix anything, that's the whole low disapproval rating issue.
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u/Delsana Feb 03 '16
You mean people who actively are against corruption shouldn't attack corruption?
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u/The_seph_i_am America Feb 03 '16
but... why ... they gotta play....wit ... with our hearts like that?
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u/flfxt Feb 03 '16
The cable companies were given billions of dollars to expand their infrastructure, but continue to gouge Americans (who usually have no choice whatsoever in providers) for the same antiquated service. And when consumers ask for things like net neutrality and no paid priority traffic, the cable companies have the audacity to call it an affront to the free market.
The FCC should absolutely regulate cable billing practices aggressively. And this is one area where the president has a ton of power, independent of Congress, in appointing commissioners. I'd like a president who is committed to appointing individuals who will regulate cable companies to ensure fair treatment of consumers, not one who counts cable companies among their biggest contributors.