================================================================= ALAWON Volume 7, Number 62 ISSN 1069-7799 June 9, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (169 lines) ACTION NEEDED: TURN UP THE VOLUME TO SAVE THE E-RATE! - FCC SETS NEW DEADLINE OF JUNE 12 - NEW CONGRESSIONAL LETTERS SUPPORTING E-RATE SENT OR UNDERWAY - VICE PRESIDENT GORE SUPPORTS E-RATE - SECRETARY OF EDUCATION REBUTS GAO REPORT ON TELECOM - PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THREATS TO E-RATE STILL STRONG - ACTION NEEDED: TURN UP THE VOLUME! _________________________________________________________________ ACTION NEEDED: TURN UP THE VOLUME TO SAVE THE E-RATE! This is a really critical week for the e-rate telecommunications discounts for libraries and schools. The latest developments have been both encouraging and discouraging. This report will give you a flavor of what's been happening and what we've been hearing, but realize the situation is very fluid and sometimes changes hourly. _________________________________________________________________ FCC SETS NEW DEADLINE OF JUNE 12 The Federal Communications Commission announced that it had moved back its own deadline for deciding how much additional e-rate funding would be collected this year from Thursday, June 11 to Friday, June 12. The FCC has clearly been affected by the stinging June 4 letter from four powerful Commerce Committee leaders -- Reps. Bliley and Dingell and Sens. McCain and Hollings -- requesting suspension of collection of e-rate funds. _________________________________________________________________ NEW CONGRESSIONAL LETTERS SUPPORTING E-RATE SENT OR UNDERWAY A letter to President Clinton in support of the e-rate spearheaded by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), was sent June 5 and signed by more than 30 representatives. They were: Reps. Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), George Brown, Jr. (D-CA), Calvin Dooley (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Esteban Torres (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Carrie Meek (D-FL), Robert Underwood, (D-GU), Danny Davis (D-IL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), William Lipinski (D-IL), Glenn Poshard (D-IL), Richard Neal (D-MA), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Bob Etheridge (D-NC), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Major Owens (D-NY), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Carlos Romero-Barcelo (D-PR), Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Thomas Barrett (D-WI), Robert Wise (D-WV). At least two Senate "Dear Colleague" letters are circulating in support of the e-rate. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is leading an effort among Appropriations Committee members (this Committee approves operating funds for the FCC), and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is leading an effort among Judiciary and Labor and Human Resources Committee members. These letters, which may be combined, will be sent to the FCC and should be available at the June 10 Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing. _________________________________________________________________ VICE PRESIDENT GORE SUPPORTS E-RATE Vice President Al Gore issued a short statement June 8; the full text follows: "Every child in America deserves a 21st Century education and access to 21st Century technology. The e-rate is critical to our effort to put computers in every classroom and library, giving every child the tools to succeed. But some in industry and in the Congress would undermine this program, and hold our children back. That's the wrong approach for America's future. Let me be clear: I strongly oppose any effort to pull the plug on the e-rate and deny our children the full promise of the Information Age. I call on both Congress and industry to put all politics aside and work with us to put 21st Century educational technology in every classroom and library. Cutting off the e-rate would close the door to our children's future. That is something America simply cannot afford to do." _________________________________________________________________ SECRETARY OF EDUCATION REBUTS GAO REPORT ON TELECOM On June 8, Secretary of Education Richard Riley sent a letter to the General Accounting Office responding to the GAO assertion in its May 7 report to Congress that 40 programs funded at more than $10 billion support acquisition of telecommunications technologies for schools and libraries. Secretary Riley noted that of the $8.2 billion identified from Department of Education programs, "only about $590 million is available specifically for education technology-related programs, and that only a very small percentage of that amount is used to support telecommunications." _________________________________________________________________ PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THREATS TO E-RATE STILL STRONG Many press reports continue to emphasize strong congressional criticism and consumer displeasure over raised phone rates. Others express support of connecting schools and libraries. Some have reported discussion of other methods of funding the e-rate such as use of the telephone excise tax. The most recent press reports indicate that House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), in a speech at a trade show, indicated his intent to lead an effort roll back the "Gore tax." Escalating the political rhetoric by calling the e-rate the "Gore tax" follows the theme of the "Time" magazine article This follows along on the TIME magazine article of May 25 with the same theme ("Gore's Costly High-Wire Act," by K. Tumulty and J.F. Dickerson at http://www.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/980525/nation.gores_costly_high1.html). Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has further escalated the political flavor of the debate by also calling this the "Gore tax." Thus much of the furor is highly partisan and political. The so-called "Gore tax" has become a campaign issue for this fall's congressional election and as the parties look ahead to the next presidential election. _________________________________________________________________ ACTION NEEDED: TURN UP THE VOLUME! To make school kids and library users the losers in a partisan wrangle is downright shameful. It's time to say so -- loudly and in great volume. The 30,000 libraries and school that have gone through the detailed application process are not out for freebies, but have responsibly relied on congressional laws and agency rules. They should not be denied the ability to provide to students and the public the valuable learning tools and information resources available only online. Send these messages to the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) and to Congress (202-224-3121) from as many libraries and schools as have applied for the discounts. Volume counts. Messages are needed this week! 1. PROVIDE DETAILS ON YOUR OWN PLANNED USE OF DISCOUNTS. 2. DON'T CUT FUNDING FOR THESE DISCOUNTS. 3. KEEP ALL ELIGIBLE AND NECESSARY SERVICES IN PLACE. 4. KEEP THE E-RATE MOVING FORWARD. 5. URGE YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SPEAK UP PUBLICLY AND TO SIGN JOINT LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF THE E-RATE. 6. DON'T HOLD SCHOOL KIDS AND LIBRARY USERS HOSTAGE TO POLITICS! Thanks for your help at this critical time. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================