Gene Kimmelman
Gene Kimmelman
Gene Kimmelman is a consumer protection advocate who specializes in competition law and United States antitrust law...
choices consumers control hopefully slippery slope spend wind
I think we are on a slippery slope to something that hopefully will be much better for consumers. Consumers could wind up with more choices and more control over what they spend and what they get.
benefits cable channels consumers debate letting open pick
We think this is really going to open up a whole new debate on the benefits of letting consumers pick their own channels on cable television.
reason serve
There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to serve everyone in a community.
combining great lakes local markets monopolies opened plus rio telephone
What they're doing is combining local telephone monopolies from the Rio Grande all the way to the Great Lakes plus California. These are markets that have not been opened to competition.
extremely officials require
We'll be extremely disappointed if antitrust officials do not require more substantial divestment of assets.
benefit describe exactly pay potential
Every potential benefit they describe is exactly what monopolists always say: You can get new services, but you have to pay more.
blew broadcast cable enormous fortress happened hole today
What happened today was (Martin) just blew an enormous hole in the fortress of the cable and broadcast monopoly,
cable company consumers continue final government oversight prices
The prices are soaring. With the end of final government oversight of cable rates, the prices will continue to soar, because most consumers do not have a choice. There's only one cable company in their community.
congress consumers developing drove fast market nearly plan predicted prices short status
These were exaggerations. The market isn't developing to a competitive status nearly as fast as they had predicted and prices are going up for consumers. Consumers are getting the short end because these exaggerations drove Congress to a plan that was premature,
carefully competition congress created federal flawed lifeless policies reject
Congress and federal regulators need to look carefully at the lifeless competition their flawed policies have created and reject this merger.
carefully choices competition concentration congress created deceived federal flawed fooled government lifeless policies produce promises reject result somehow
Congress and federal regulators need to look carefully at the lifeless 'competition' their flawed policies have created and reject this merger. The government has been deceived before by promises that somehow more concentration would produce more choices and competition, when the result has been just the opposite. It shouldn't be fooled again.
hope mergers nation puts telephone
Rubber-stamping these mergers is an embarrassing milestone in this nation because it puts an end to any real hope of head-to-head telephone competition.
asking block department justice step
We are asking the Justice Department to step in and block this.
blow era falling lead prices telephone
This is a devastating blow to the consumer. This one will lead to the end of the era of falling prices for telephone and cell-phone service.