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October 2008 |
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| National Grange Opposes Credit Card Fair Fee Act |
| H. R. 5546, the so-called Credit Card Fair Fee Act is legislation seeking to grant a giant antitrust exemption to over 15 million retailers who process credit card transactions, harming consumers across the nation.
National Grange recently wrote to U.S. House of Representatives leaders expressing opposition to H. R. 5546. This legislation seeks an antitrust exemption for retailers allowing them to negotiate lower “interchange fees.” These fees are charged for the use of credit and debit cards at retail outlets. While the legislation is billed as an effort to find innovative ways to deliver relief to consumers struggling with high food and gas prices, National Grange is concerned it will not accomplish its goals. In fact, the legislation could do considerable harm to consumers.
H.R. 5546 does not include provisions guaranteeing that consumers will benefit in any way should retailers succeed in negotiating lower interchange rates. Instead, the legislation seems to only guarantee higher profits for retailers by not requiring any savings to be passed on to consumers. Additionally, credit card services are a critical lifeline for community banks and credit unions that must compete against larger financial institutions. Congressional mandates enabling retailers to set interchange rates will likely result in many community banks and credit unions exiting the marketplace for these services.
Unfortunately, Congressional granting of antitrust exemptions to large numbers of horizontal competitors often invites collusion and other abuses which are hard to police and prosecute. By giving retailers the unilateral authority to set terms and conditions for retail credit, National Grange is concerned that the legislation will limit the availability of such credit card services in many middle and low-income communities where the dollar volume of retail credit card transactions is lower.
While the National Grange applauds Congress’s continued concern about consumer interests, the fear is that HR 5546 represents a giant windfall for retailers and does nothing to protect consumers.
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| National Grange Writes to Senate Leaders Concerning Broadband Technology |
National Grange recently wrote to Senate leaders concerning Broadband technology in rural America. Even though broadband technology has spurred innovation and new opportunities, too many rural Americans are unable to take advantage of them. For large parts of rural America, a broadband connection remains out of reach, inhibiting economic, educational, social and medical growth and advancement. As time and technology surge forward, the decisions made at the FCC must play a positive role related to the deployment of future telecommunications technology. Therefore, the National Grange believes that the FCC should be free to consider all the proposals before it on inter-carrier compensation and universal service as an important first step in a public debate. The National Grange believes that full consideration of all proposals before the FCC is the only way that rural America will have a full opportunity to participate in the technological advances of a 21st Century broadband society.
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National Grange Supports Rural Television Stations
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The National Grange recently wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman, the Honorable Kevin Martin, concerning the Commission’s consideration of proposals that would put rural viewers’ over-the-air access to their local television stations at risk by authorizing the use of television spectrum by new unlicensed “white space” devices.
The National Grange recognizes the continued importance of broadcast television to the public welfare, especially in rural communities. Compared to Americans living in urban and suburban communities, rural Americans rely disproportionately on free television broadcasts for vital information including weather, emergency situations, local and national news as well as entertainment programming. Local-into-local satellite service still does not include all 210 television markets. Cable operators face what many believe are burdensome costs to extend their infrastructure to many rural communities.
With respect to unlicensed mobile devices, or “sensing” devices that rely on an on-the-spot determination as to what spectrum is unoccupied, the National Grange told the FCC Chairman that the Commission has only one chance to put the right rules in place. The National Grange believes that the Commission’s decisions must protect the access of rural television viewers to free, over-the-air broadcast television. The Commission should be absolutely sure that any new service does not adversely affect viewers who rely on established services. Accordingly, the Commission should not approve the “concept” of sensing devices in the abstract without full and adequate public comment.
With respect to unlicensed and other devices, the National Grange cautioned the Commission chairman about approval of any device on channels adjacent to those used by local full-power or low-power television stations without significantly more testing and a subsequent opportunity for meaningful public comment. Because many rural consumers live more than 25 miles from their local television stations, the threat of adjacent-channel operation from untraceable devices is a significant concern.
National Grange told the FCC chairman that the Commission should move forward concerning fixed broadband devices in rural areas. Such targeted focus on rural broadband deployment should protect rural consumers’ over-the-air reception of local television and enable available TV-band spectrum to be used in a manner that will speed rural broadband deployment.
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| Get Ready for Digital Television |
If you rely on roof top antenna or rabbit ears, a TV converter box is one option to transition to digital television on or before February 19, 2009. The federal government is offering all U. S. households up to two $40.00 coupons to help pay for the cost of TY converter boxes. Apply today for your coupon. To keep your analog TV working, follow three steps, which should take 6 weeks:
- Apply today for your coupon, which will help you purchase a government certified converter box. Coupons are available on a first come, first serve basis. To apply, go to www.DTV2009.gov , call 1-888-DTV-2009, mail to P.O. Box 2000, Portland OR 97208, or fax 1-877-388-4632.
- Buy your coupon eligible converter box. Coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed. Expired coupons cannot be reissued or replaced. A list of retailers will come in the envelop with your coupon(s).
- Try your converter box as soon as you get home. Hook-up your converter box to start watching commercial television or to troubleshoot potential problems. The converter box instructions may include a toll free line for help setting up your box. If you experience reception contact your local television station. For general information about general DTV transition, visit www.DTV.gov, or call 1-888-call-FCC.
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| National Grange Writes to FCC on Lifeline/Link-Up Program |
The National Grange recently wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning a petition submitted by TracFone Wireless, Inc., to establish a Broadband Lifeline/Link-Up program on a trial basis in Virginia, Florida, DC and Tennessee. The petition includes good concepts, and we urged the FCC to consider the concerns of rural Americans.
In the correspondence, the National Grange also expressed a strong interest in maintaining the integrity of the telecommunications infrastructure in rural America. This is vital to ensure that our rural communities enjoy sustained economic development throughout the 21st Century.
Concerning the TracFone petition, National Grange recommended a one- to two-year market trial limited to 500,000 to 1,000,000 households in four states. The benefits of a trial include:
- Expense: it would not cost a large amount, thus not reducing funding for existing USF programs;
- Evaluation: it would allow the Commission to evaluate the success of the program in diverse areas (rural, urban) and among different populations.
- Investment: It would allow the Commission to evaluate if the program would benefit from additional support for broadband build out and investment in certain (rural) communities. We are concerned that many rural consumers who would benefit from the Lifeline broadband program would simply not have broadband available to them, even at the reduced cost.
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| National Grange Writes to Georgia House Intercarrier Compensation Committee |
National Grange wrote to members of the Georgia General Assembly House Study Committee on Intercarrier Compensation concerning telecommunication access charges. In the letter, National Grange asked the Committee to consider the needs of rural Georgians as they assess the rules, costs and effects of access charges on broadband services.
The Grange supports legislative and regulatory policies that will encourage investment in Georgia’s broadband system in rural communities, which includes the clarification and removal of state regulations in order to help broadband providers expand their coverage in underserved rural communities. The Georgia General Assembly has already done much to provide the best possible avenues for additional high-speed broadband infrastructure to be deployed to under-served rural areas in the state. In fact, Georgia has the highest availability of DSL in the country.
The National Grange believes it is critical that the Georgia General Assembly builds upon its good work to bring broadband to Georgia’s rural areas, and find better ways to stimulate the rural economy in these uncertain economic times. The national non-profit organization Connected Nation estimates there could be a $134 billion per year impact nationwide from a modest increase in broadband adoption. Too many of Georgia’s rural communities lack the access to broadband needed to support education, economic development, enhanced government services and advanced medicine in the 21st century economy. The National Grange believes stronger incentives and lessened regulations for broadband should be a central goal of the Study Committee.
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| Legislative Round-Up |
Connecticut State Grange
By: Gordon Gibson |
A major accomplishment this year for the Connecticut State Grange was the passage of the Face of Connecticut Act which creates a fund for local and regional open space programs, farmland conservation and stewardship, affordable housing, revitalization of urban parks, historic preservation and clean up of contaminated properties. It encourages both the preservation of their rural lands and the redevelopment of their decaying industrial areas, thus reducing the demand for industrial sprawl. At first glance these programs appear to be quite diverse, but they all contribute to preserving our heritage and the quality of life.
Ohio State Grange
By: Gene Courtney |
The Ohio State Grange reports that a bill was introduced in the Ohio General Assembly that would create a local task force to develop recommendations of policies and funding that are necessary to encourage local farming in Ohio. Additionally, the Clean Ohio Fund will help the Ohio Department of Agriculture Office of Farmland Preservation to secure the purchase of easement rights on nearly 3,200 acres of farmland from 18 farms in the seventh and final funding round of the Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program [AEPP]. The Clean Ohio Program has provided the means to preserve more than 26,000 acres of valued farmland, which in turn has preserved jobs and has sustained the state’s number one industry agriculture.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] released the state’s first of four rule packages regulating Ohio’s lakes, rivers, streams and other surface water bodies for pollution. Some of the draft rule changes to water bodies for pollution include:
- New beneficial use designations for aquatic life, recreation, agricultural drainage and navigation.
- New human health criteria for about 135 chemicals.
- Revised criteria for bacteria.
- New and revised aquatic life criteria for seven chemicals.
The draft rules contain new provisions for regulating agricultural ditches and primary headwater habitat streams that simplify the review projects impacting small isolated waters. All four water quality rules packages address all waters of the state. Several of the draft revisions made to all four rules packages specifically address small isolated streams.
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