SALON: THE CORPORATE TOLL ON THE INTERNET

Via Boing Boing via BFD, an excellent article by Farhad Manjoo explaining why the Congressional wrangle over "network neutrality" is a big deal.

If you have an opinion about this issue, right now is the time to let it be known. Hearings on the U.S. House bill that will decide the future of Net neutrality -- and the role of communities in network access -- will start in the full Energy and Commerce Committee next week.

Sherrod? Ted? Representative Sherrod Brown, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Ohio, is a member of Energy and Commerce. Representative Ted Strickland, the leading Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, is also a member of that committee. As far as I can tell, neither of these Congressmen/candidates has commented publicly on the proposed legislation, or on the generic issue of Net neutrality, or on the generic issue of local communities' role in the future of information networks.

If anyone working for the Brown or Strickland campaigns, or their Congressional staffs, happens to read this, I'd really love to publish anything your Congressman has to say about these subjects.

Meanwhile, if you're an Ohio voter who thinks the future of the Internet is important -- that it's an issue that might actually affect how you vote this November -- you might want to let Representative Brown, Representative Strickland, and your own Representative know how you feel.