For the Oregon folks, Senator Smith is on the committee. If you send a note (the links did not work for me), make sure you edit the companies involved. -----Forwarded Message----- From: Marianne Granoff <granoff@private> To: nmisp@private, uswisp@private, nmipa@private, aww-discuss@private, checs@private, forum@private Subject: (uswisp) Senate Bill 905 needs to be amended Date: 03 May 2003 09:40:32 -0600 S.905 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a broadband Internet access tax credit. Sponsor: Sen Rockefeller, Jay [WV] (introduced 4/11/2003), Senate, 5/2/2003, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:s.00905: This bill does NOT extend the tax credits to ISPs. The language in the bill currently limits those eligible for the tax credit to: (A) cable operator, (B) commercial mobile service carrier, (C) open video system operator, (F) other wireless carrier, providing current generation broadband services or next generation broadband services to subscribers through such qualified equipment." This essentially means that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are NOT eligible for the tax credit unless they are also "carriers" or cable companies. The word "carrier" is specifically defined under federal law and NM state law to mean a business certified under the FCC or state Public Regulation Commission. In other words, a phone company, whether a regular phone company such as Qwest or Valor, or a wireless phone company such as Verizon or Alltel. ISPs who provide their own DSL, wireless services, or other broadband services will not get the tax credits. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee. The members of the Senate Finance Committee are: Republicans: <http://www.senate.gov/%7Egrassley/>CHARLES GRASSLEY, IA - <javascript:openwindow('http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm');>grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ehatch/>ORRIN G. HATCH, UT - www.senate.gov/~hatch/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Offices.Contact <http://www.senate.gov/%7Enickles/>DON NICKLES, OK - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator@private');>senator@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Elott/>TRENT LOTT, MS - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senatorlott@private');>senatorlott@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Esnowe/>OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:olympia@private');>olympia@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ekyl/>JON KYL, AZ - <javascript:openwindow('http://kyl.senate.gov/con_form.htm');>kyl.senate.gov/con_form.htm <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ethomas/>CRAIG THOMAS, WY - <javascript:openwindow('http://thomas.senate.gov/html/contact.html');>thomas.senate.gov/html/contact.html <http://www.senate.gov/%7Esantorum/>RICK SANTORUM, PA - <javascript:openwindow('http://santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html');>santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html <http://www.senate.gov/%7Efrist/>BILL FRIST, TN - <javascript:openwindow('http://frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm');>frist.senate.gov/contact.cfm <http://www.senate.gov/%7Egsmith/>GORDON SMITH, OR - <javascript:openwindow('http://gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm');>gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebunning/>JIM BUNNING, KY - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:jim_bunning@private');>jim_bunning@private Democrats: <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebaucus/>MAX BAUCUS, MT - <javascript:openwindow('http://baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html');>baucus.senate.gov/emailmax.html <http://www.senate.gov/%7Erockefeller/>JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator@private');>senator@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Edaschle/>TOM DASCHLE, SD - <javascript:openwindow('http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.html');>daschle.senate.gov/webform.html <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebreaux/>JOHN BREAUX, LA - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator@private');>senator@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Econrad/>KENT CONRAD, ND - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator@private');>senator@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Egraham/>BOB GRAHAM, FL - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:bob_graham@private');>bob_graham@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ejeffords/>JAMES M. JEFFORDS, VT - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:vermont@private');>vermont@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ebingaman/>JEFF BINGAMAN, NM - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:senator_bingaman@private');>senator_bingaman@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Ekerry/>JOHN F. KERRY, MA - <javascript:openwindow('mailto:john_kerry@private');>john_kerry@private <http://www.senate.gov/%7Elincoln/>BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR - <javascript:openwindow('http://lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html');>lincoln.senate.gov/webform.html Nine of the 21 members are from our own Qwest-served states. I urge you all to contact your own congressional delegates ( http://www.senate.gov/ and select your state) and/or members of the Senate Finance Committee to have this bill amended to include ISPs who also provide broadband services, whether they are carriers or not. You might choose to point out that when the state-based ISPs, who are usually in competition with the phone companies and cable companies, fail because these big companies get huge federal tax credits but the local ISPs do not - that the money and jobs that the state-based ISPs contributed to the state economies usually go out of state. If there is a state association that can also write a letter - that helps also. Forward as you feel appropriate. Thanks, Marianne Marianne Granoff Legislative Co-Chair New Mexico Internet Professionals Association 3900 Paseo del Sol Santa Fe, NM 87505 http://www.nmipa.org 505 345-4771 or 980-7919 granoff@private -- Zot O'Connor http://www.ZotConsulting.com http://www.WhiteKnightHackers.com
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