Opinion: Fairness in telecommunications

Legislators embarrassed by Gov. Jeb Bush's veto of the telephone rate increase have no one but themselves to blame. He didn't ask for the bill, the telephone lobbies did. He did his job, which was to look out for the public interest. Theirs was the same, but most failed at it. Only 21 of the 120 lawmakers voted no. The remainder are left to explain why they voted for something that would give such offense to the public.

There well may be truth to the rumor that the Republican and Democratic parties, equally greased by the telecommunications industry's soft money, had pledged secretly not to target each other's incumbent legislators for voting for the bill. The Democratic Party's silence was conspicuous. Only three of its 43 House members and two of its 15 senators voted against the bill.

Despite the individual telephone contributions that most legislators have received, and despite the relentless pressure from 144 lobbyists, it is unlikely that so many would have dared vote for a $448-million rate increase if they thought the governor wouldn't go along. Some, thinking cynically, assumed that a Republican governor could not afford to offend an industry that has been generous to his party. Now that he's done just that, these same cynics are saying that his decision was political. So what if it was? Politics and government are inseparable.

That said, we should acknowledge that the telecommunications industry raised some legitimate and complex issues that will have to be addressed at some point. The industry is going through a period of rapid and in some cases chaotic change. State and federal regulators cannot ignore some of the new realities of the telecom market.

The governor called the legislation "well-intentioned" but expressed concern that some of its language contained "a high degree of ambiguity" on the responsibilities of the Public Service Commission. He understands on matters of such complexity there can be no doubt about the authority of the PSC. Although regulators are not insulated from political pressures, we trust them -- and their professional staff -- more than politicians to make the right decision.

If the Legislature and the industry decide to revisit the issue next year, they would do well to follow the advice of Attorney General Bob Butterworth, who opposed the bill, and include consumer groups and independent experts at the table. If everyone acts in good faith, there is no reason why lawmakers can't craft a bill that treats both the industry and consumers fairly.

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