Rep. Clay Cox introduced H.B. 168 in the legislative session to modernize the telecom industry and put tighter restrictions and end the Universal Access Fund. This bill would end the phone bill subsidies for rural customers in large metropolitan areas. The rural customers often paid much less for their services than customers in urban areas. The subsidy was hidden on the phone bills.

Congress reconvenes next week. If you have not aready done so, makes sure you contact your congressman and encourage them to act on the following:

And so it begins. Rep. Alan Grayson has distributed the letter below to all Democrats in the House and will use it to generate Democratic co-sponsorship for the HR1207 Bill, aka The Federal Reserve Transparency Act, allowing the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve, and also require a Fed report to Congress by the end of 2010.

This is the critical first step for U.S. Taxpayers to regain some semblance of control over the insanity that happens each and every day over at the Federal Reserve. The status quo must change.

Zero Hedge recommends all readers who believe in transparency and accountability join Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, James K. Galbraith, Dean Baker, Bill Black, Tyler Durden, Yves Smith, US PIRG, Public Citizen, Mike Farrell, Digby, Rob Kuttner, Ian Welsh, Bill Greider, Stirling Newberry, ANWF, Les Leopold, Mike Lux and others in supporting Alan Grayson and asking Democratic members of Congress to cosponsor the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Endorse your approval of the proposal and go to this site to sign the petition.
From Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

The “cap-and-trade” legislation (HR2454) that is being pushed through congress by Chairman Henry Waxman (CA- D) is just another tax on the American people. Even President Obama has admitted that it is going to be an additional cost on every household and business in this country. It will cost the average American family anywhere from $700 to $3,000 a year depending on whose analysis you believe. I believe the $3000 estimate determined by a study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

It’s a tax! “Cap-and-trade” is just another tax and a huge expansion of government bureaucracy.

Bill: (HR2454) American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

Summary of Bill: Cap and Tax Overview

Democrats have this legislation on a fast track hoping that the American people will not notice.

Please contact your Representative and both Senators with the following message:
Please vote NO on the upcoming ‘cap-and-trade’ legislation. We do not need another tax on the people of this country nor another government bureaucracy.

Please respond immediately! Congress has this bill on a fast track.

Governor Purdue vetoed the J.O.B.S 2009 bill. The good news is that he did sign into effect HB482, a bill that eliminates ad valorem tax on business inventory.

The J.O.B.S. Bill of 2009 (HB 481) is now waiting for Governor Purdue’s signature. If you recall, HB 481, a bill that provides tax credits to employers for each unemployed person hired, suspends business “start up” fees for one year, and eliminates the state sales tax deposit, passed both the State House and the State Senate by overwhelming majorities. The accompanying bill, HB 482, which eliminates the state ad valorem tax on business inventory through a statewide referendum, also passed both the GA House and Senate. I encourage you to send Governor Purdue a note indicating that you hope he will sign the legislation.

Sen David Schafer’s SB 1 – Zero-Base Budgeting Act has passed the Senate and now sits in the House Rules Committee. It is important that we reach out and contact the members of this committee and urge them to pass this legislation. This needs to be done TODAY as the legislation session ends tomorrow. It will be then be passed out of committee so that the full Legislature can vote on it.

This legislation requires all spending be detailed in a budget and not just for new programs. Under the current system, once new spending programs are approved, they are automatically rolled over into succeeding state budgets under the line item, continuation. In this case, there is little focus on whether or not older programs are still needed.

House Rules Committee

Rep. Earl Ehrhart

HR 1388 Passes the House…

The actual text of the bill:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-1388

Link to the status of the bill:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1388