Verizon says PUC has no authority over NSA records (Maine)

[struggle4progress]

By Clarke Canfield
Associated Press
Complete Maine News Index




PORTLAND, Maine - Verizon phone company on Friday told the Maine Public Utilities Commission that it should dismiss a complaint seeking to find out if it is giving the National Security Agency information on its telephone customers in Maine.

In a seven-page response to the PUC, Verizon said the commission lacks the authority over NSA records because the NSA program is "highly classified." Verizon also said it can neither confirm nor deny whether it has any relationship to an NSA program.

A group of 21 Mainers filed a complaint last week asking the PUC to order Verizon New England Inc. to answer whether it provided telephone records and information to the federal government without customers’ knowledge or consent. The complaint further asked if Verizon had given the NSA access to its telephone switching equipment.

"Verizon is prohibited...from providing any information concerning its alleged cooperation with the NSA program," Donald Boeke, a Verizon attorney, wrote in the response. "Indeed, it is a felony under federal criminal law for any person to divulge classified information concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States to any person that has not been authorized by the president, or his lawful designee, to receive such information" ..

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/05202006/maine/103780.htm

[IChing]

1. If this is not fascism then I don't know what is?

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION,
a voice for the people
VS.
a private corporation that now says it is the holders of state secrets.

Don't you get this people?
I know the corporations do.

[AnOhioan]

3. It is frightening

A government of, by, and for the corporations. Screw the people....we are just a way for them to make more money.

[cliss]

21. They forget

which side their bread is buttered on.

OR: they're biting the hand that feeds them.

[Kagemusha]

2. Why are they NSA records instead of Verizon records?

Just wondering....

[SeattleGirl]

4. The answer is in your question, Kagemusha.

Because Verizon MUST HAVE turned over their records to the NSA. Otherwise, why couldn't they just flat out say no, we haven't done that. This crap is just beyond belief. This is not the United States of America any more; this is the United Corporations of America (or should that be AGAINST Americans?)

[sarcasmo]

24. Seattle Girl you should coin that. UCAA.

United Corporations Against America. It would make for a great bumper sticker.

[rodeodance]

5. Tony Snow would neither confirm nor deny the USAToday show, now

Maine Verizon is saying the same thing.


....In a seven-page response to the PUC, Verizon said the commission lacks the authority over NSA records because the NSA program is "highly classified." Verizon also said it can neither confirm nor deny whether it has any relationship to an NSA program.

[Supersedeas]

19. the spin-Nazi's are all on the same page

[POAS]

6. Catch 22

[formercia]

7. In Maine, it's against the law

for phone companies or anyone else to divulge your phone records.

[peacebird]

8. but States rights don't trump bush's rights - he is a legend in

his own mind.... the all powerful most importantest person in the world!
:sarcasm:
:grr:

Will Maine take on the feds over states rights? I certainly hope so.

We dumped Verizon (for other reasons) over a year ago.... pity - would love to dump them NOW and tell them this is why...

[formercia]

10. This is a perfect cause for state's rights

If the States can't protect their citizens, who can?

[On the Road]

18. Jurisdictional Fights are Pretty Common in the Telecom World

states are able to set local rates and conditions, but the FCC is always trying to maintain national standards or usurp power.

Sometimes, it's beneficial for the feds to overrule the state commissions. This is not one of those cases. I hope Maine and other states pursue these cases at least long enough for the basic facts to emerge and discourage the telcos from cooperating with these requests in the future.

[jpak]

9. If Verizon doesn't fess up the PUC should kick them out of ME

Force them to sell their Maine assets (cell towers, etc.) and bar them from doing business in the state.

THAT would get their attention...

Dirigo

[mainegreen]

20. I'd love to see that!

Plus, that would give the dem's a major positive going into the election. I wonder what Snowe would say to this?

[shadowknows69]

11. I want an apology for every conspiracy theorist

that has said over the years that the NSA is the true government of the US and was called a loon for it. Could it be more obvious? And I thought Bush was a master of ducking acountability. Companies can now lie and say they've never even been approached by the NSA. Maybe we're trying to remove the wrong people from office.

[Acadia Blue]

12. Its been creeping fascism since he took office. Now its running.

[Ian David]

13. They're boiling the frog. n/t

[damntexdem]

14. Then Maine should block them from continued operations in Maine.

And as goes Maine, so goes the nation.

[annabanana]

15. Clearly Verizon doesn't care that the program is ......umm

ILLEGAL

[brentspeak]

16. What NSA records, Verizon?

I thought you didn't hand over customer records to the NSA in the first place, Verizon. Which is it?

[struggle4progress]

17. AT&T won't say if it gave records to federal government (Missouri)

By Michael D. Sorkin
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/20/2006

AT&T is refusing to tell Missouri regulators what kind of consumer records the phone company shares with the government - or even whether it does ..

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/DCDC9D65C99A066986257174000BBA21?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22michael%22+AND+%22d.%22+AND+%22sorkin%22

[drm604]

22. PUCs should start kicking uncooperative companies out of their states.

I assume they have the power to do that.

[Supersedeas]

23. wonder what they are hiding???

[madmark]

25. nice to see states trying to do what they can to get a handle on this

bullshit.