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Telecom Group Backs Adelstein For FCC
by Chloe Albanesius
The South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA) on Tuesday urged Republican Sen.-elect John Thune to push for the re-nomination of Jonathan Adelstein to the FCC.
Adelstein, a Democrat and South Dakota native, joined the commission in 2002. He worked as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, the Democrat who Thune defeated Nov. 2.
Daschle submitted Adelstein's name for re-nomination in early 2003, but the White House has yet to act upon it. If the administration does not re-nominate him and the Senate does not confirm him during the upcoming post-election session, Adelstein must leave the FCC.
The commissioner's re-nomination is "critical to the well being of the telecommunications industry and every other industry that depends upon telecommunications in South Dakota, as well as all of rural America," SDTA President Randy Houdek wrote in a letter to Thune. He asserted that without Adelstein, there will be no voice for rural America at the FCC.
"This is not a partisan issue," Houdek wrote. "This is about understanding rural America, our unique needs, and the value we provide."
In other telecom news, a Florida public utilities commissioner voiced his support for FCC rules released Tuesday that said Internet telephony is not subject to state utility regulations but is instead bound by federal rules because voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) is interstate in nature.
Charles Davidson said "not all state regulators view the FCC's ... decision as a bad one. Indeed, numerous regulators understand that a patchwork of varying state rules could kill the emerging VoIP industry and eliminate greater choice for consumers."
Davidson was one of nine commissioners from eight states who submitted comments opposing VoIP regulation to the FCC on behalf of the Federation for Economically Rational Utility Policy. Other commissioners who signed the letter hailed from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Missouri and North Dakota.
"VoIP is not well-suited to the model of regulation that traditionally has been applied to the provision of circuit-switched telephone services by a monopoly," they wrote.
The Latest News On Prescription Drugs
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle on Tuesday met with Michael Kergin, Canada's ambassador to the United States, to discuss safety issues surrounding prescription drugs imported from Canada.
Kergin assured Doyle that imports from abroad are subject to strict safety standards. "Canada's system is safe and provides significant savings over the prices we pay here in the United States," Doyle said in a press release.
Doyle launched a Web site providing citizens with links to cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, but few citizens are actually taking advantage of the service, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. In the site's first six months, Canadian pharmacies have filled just 2,299 prescriptions for Wisconsin residents. Orders dropped from 765 the first month to 365 in August.
Doyle said he is not troubled by the statistics because his state has the highest number of residents with health insurance. The Web site, he said, is primarily for those without health insurance or options for cheaper prescription drugs.
Canadian pharmacies have filled more than 4,690 prescription orders for Minnesota residents since January, where Gov. Tim Pawlenty launched a similar service.
In other news, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen on Wednesday announced plans to dissolve TennCare, the state's healthcare plan, in favor of a traditional Medicaid plan.
While TennCare is a "noble and worthwhile initiative," the state no longer can afford to fund it, he said. "It pains me to set this process in motion, but I won't let TennCare bankrupt our state. This is the option of last resort."
The system launched an online component in August after months of delay. The $63 million computer system faced problems when contractor EDS missed its deadline for implementation.
Massachusetts' Regional Security Plan Approved
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney last week approved a regional homeland security plan for his state and announced that federal authorities had allocated $45 million for the initiative.
The Republican governor set up planning councils in each of the five regions earlier this year to determine where security spending is most needed. The $45 million will be distributed based on threat and risk assessments conducted by local police, fire and emergency-response officials, and each region will be required to spend at least $2 million on making sure various departments' communications systems can "talk" to each other.
The funding breakdown includes: $9.5 million for metro Boston; $7.7 million for the southeast region; $6.5 million for the northeast; $4.4 million for central Massachusetts; and $3.8 million for the western region.
In other news, Romney earlier this month unveiled the state's digital driver's licenses. The new documents will include digital "watermarks" and a two-dimensional kinegram, a graphic that appears to move when viewed from different angles and is difficult to duplicate.
And in Connecticut, Gov. Jodi Rell on Friday announced that her state is one of the first to be able to cross-check crime-scene fingerprints with those in the FBI's Integrated Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. In addition to helping catch criminals, Rell said the technology will speed background checks for potential employees.
Citizens Group Lauds Pa. Broadband Bill
A citizens group that promotes the use of high-speed Internet service on Wednesday applauded a Pennsylvania Senate panel for approving a measure designed to accelerate broadband access across the state.
The Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee approved a bill, H.B. 30 after adding an amendment that enhances consumer protections in addition to spurring broadband deployment.
The legislation is "the most aggressive approach for broadband network deployment in the country," David Wright, president of Consumers First, said in a press release. "The state's phone companies will contribute directly to communities across the state."
The House passed the measure last year on a 165-35 vote. Wright hopes the amendments will help get it passed in the Senate before the legislature adjourns for the year. The measure is now being considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Dell To Open North Carolina Plant
The computer maker Dell on Tuesday announced plans to open a manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The new site will produce desktop computers for the Texas-based company's U.S. East Coast business customers and consumers.
Dell has not yet chosen a site for the plant but hopes to have it operational by next fall. The project will result in 700 jobs the first year, eventually increasing to 1,500 over five years.
"The education system, commitment to businesses and proximity to a large and growing base of Dell customers were important in our decision to expand into North Carolina," Dell CEO Kevin Rollins said in a press release.
The initiative will "provide over $700 million in net revenue over 20 years," Gov. Mike Easley said. "This project makes good economic sense for North Carolina at a time when our workers need the most help."
In Ohio, meanwhile, Gov. Bob Taft on Wednesday attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony in West Chester for Dell's distribution and fulfillment center. The $15.4 million facility will be used to support Dell's printer-ink business, as well as its distribution and warranty fulfillment on select electronics and accessories orders.
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