Phone Co. Requesting Modem Surcharge

[6155GUASTELL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

John Gelles did indeed inspire me to write to the Congresscritters about
the Phone Cos. request to put a surcharge on modems. There are additional
arguments against it.

1. The natural course of computer and phone utilization and spurred an
increase in the purchase of second phone lines in many homes, e.g. mine,
which are often someone's worksite. The Phone Co. are thus collecting
double their ordinary income by these increase sales. They dont NEED
the right to surcharge.

2. Further, if high-speed modems are used, the Phone Co. already sell
an adaptation service to make those lines quieter and more reliable
(gt 24,0000 baud) and are thus getting paid for any special technological
drain.

3. At a more general economic level, the use of computers-modems for
work is an important counteragent against the disparity of mobility of
labor versus capital. Such disparity undermines any merits associated
with the free trade system. (Daly and Goodland here!). True, only some
sectors of the economy benefit from the enhanced mobility.

4. Refusal to allow the surcharge will assist with many further benefits
associated with the telecommunications movement: lower gasoline
comsumption and lower pollution associated with it, and the making of
new jobs which would not otherwise be available. Telecommuting is
already a cute way for industry generally to externalize some of the
costs of maintaining a workplace.

-- Stephen Guastello