January 2013

Facebook CEO to Host Christie Fundraiser

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) has gained an ally in the blue-leaning Silicon Valley in his bid for a second term: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The California tech mogul—who has been measured in his public embrace of politicians as his company plays an emerging role in politics—will host a fundraiser next month as part of Christie’s first out-of-state campaign trip. Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan will hold the evening fundraiser on Feb. 13 at their home in Palo Alto (CA). The event is believed to be the first time the billionaire has hosted a campaign event at his home, and the guests will draw from the couple’s circle of friends and colleagues. Donations are a maximum of $3,800, New Jersey’s legal limit per election. Zuckerberg first met Gov Christie in 2010 after making a $100 million donation to Newark’s public schools, and the two have maintained regular contact since. As their friendship evolved, the 28-year-old billionaire expressed an interest in helping Gov Christie as he embarked on a run for a second term, and both camps agreed on the February event.

FCC Denies Request to Rescind Comment on Unserved Areas

The Federal Communications Commission has dismissed a request by wireless Internet service providers that it rescind its notice seeking comment on a list of census blocks in price cap territories that are unserved by fixed broadband, a list based on the National Broadband Map.

The FCC said that the request from the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) was not "ripe" for a decision because the notice was not a final action, but instead a request for info that could inform that final action, which is the dispensation of more broadband subsidy money as the FCC migrates traditional phone subsidies to broadband. Cable operators want the opportunity to weigh in and correct what they see as inaccuracies in the map that show served areas to be unserved. Areas identified as unserved will be eligible for Universal Service Fund subsidies for competing broadband providers, including wireless, which cable ops don't want to be used to overbuild their existing wired service.

Here’s how much in content sales turn Kindle Fire into a money maker

How much in content sales does it take for Amazon to earn a 20 percent profit margin on its Kindle Fire hardware? About $10 per month, which generates $3 once Amazon takes its 30 percent cut.

Senior analyst at ABI Research, Aapo Markkanen, estimated by doing the math last week, saying this incremental $3 revenue would be required over the life of the hardware to maintain such a profit margin. This turns the Kindle Fire into a potentially lucrative product for Amazon, even though most believe it sells the Kindle Fire products near cost, if not below it. Even better: The combination of decreasing hardware prices over time and a rise in content sales — think apps, movies, books, music — will help the product line even more.

Recovery Act Money for Smart Grid was Mismanaged, IG Says

Millions of federal dollars slated for smart grid projects were not effectively managed, according to a new report from the Energy Department’s inspector general.

The department’s Smart Grid Demonstration Program received nearly $700 million in funding through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The IG looked at 11 projects that were awarded $279 million of the Recovery Act money and $10 million in other funds. Of that, $12.3 million in reimbursements were found to lack proper documentation. Money allocated by the program faced multiple obstacles, and the program didn’t effectively coordinate with other similar initiatives, the IG found.

We The People Petitioners Typically Wait Three Months for a Reply

On average, it takes White House officials nearly three months to pen responses to citizen petitions filed on its We the People website, once those petitions cross the threshold for an official reply. The average wait time dropped markedly, though, after the White House raised its threshold for a petition response from 5,000 to 25,000 signatures in a month just a few weeks after We the People first went online. It took administration officials an average of 108 days to respond to petitions submitted under the 5,000 signature barrier but just 54 days to respond to petitions that crossed the 25,000 signature threshold, according to a Nextgov analysis.

How Some Men Harass Women Online and What Other Men Can Do to Stop It

[Commentary] When I write about feminism and men’s violence against women, I often receive supportive comments. While some of the praise is earned, much of it gives me a lot of credit for doing very little. When women write about those same topics, it’s a different story. We men threaten women bloggers and writers with rape and murder. We call women “man-haters,” verbally abuse them, hack into their email accounts and stalk them. We alter photos of women, putting cuts and bruises on their faces. Then we excuse ourselves, saying we were “just joking–can’t you feminists take a joke?” Racists harass people online; so do homophobes. Most people agree this is harassment. But my gender’s online harassment of women seems to go unquestioned, even defended, in most circles. Yet men’s online abuse of women has been well-documented by women such as Laurie Penney, Jennifer Pozner, Emily May and many other women. “The sad part is that it works,” says feminist blogger Soraya Chemaly.

FCC Chairman’s Legacy: Ignoring Diversity

[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plan to allow greater media consolidation in local markets could wipe out many of the remaining TV station owners of color left in the country.

According to the latest data, people of color own just over 3 percent of all full-power TV stations — just 43 of the nation’s 1,348 stations — despite making up close to 40 percent of the U.S. population. African Americans own just five stations. That’s only 0.4 percent of all commercial TV stations. And Latinos own 1.6 percent of all TV stations, despite making up close to 17 percent of the U.S. population. But the FCC chairman doesn’t plan to deal with this media inequality. Instead, he wants to adopt rules that will make things worse. His refusal to deal with diversity is all the more inexplicable given that just a couple of months ago voters of color played a primary role in President Obama’s re-election — an election that allowed Chairman Genachowski to keep his job. Though perhaps the chairman is more concerned about his next job, as numerous press reports indicate Genachowski plans to leave the FCC soon.

[Torres is the senior external affairs director at Free Press]

Rep Markey concerned over Disney plan to track kids with bracelets

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) expressed concern over Disney's plan to track guests at its theme parks using bracelets called "MagicBands."

In a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger, Rep Markey, the co-chairman of the congressional privacy caucus, worried that the plan could "have a harmful impact on our children." Customers have the option to wear the bracelets, which are part of Disney's new park management system, called "MyMagic+." The bands can serve as a credit card, room key and park ticket and can alert customers when they can get on a ride without standing in line. As detailed in a New York Times article earlier this month, Disney can use the bands to track a customer's location, determining which attractions she visits, what food she buys, how long she stands in line and other information. Customers can choose to provide Disney with more personal information, which the park will use to provide a more customized experience, such as Disney characters greeting the child by name.

The US Needs Smarter Technology Policies

[Commentary] The industrial-based economy has given way to a post-industrial order, making the Internet a crucial platform for commerce and communications. It is vital, especially with our economy experiencing weak growth, that leaders pursue pro-innovation policies that improve productivity and entrepreneurship. Along these lines, Brookings released last week a paper by myself and my Brookings colleagues Allan Friedman and Walter Valdivia that outlined a robust domestic tech policy agenda for 2013 and beyond, which offered ideas for reforming our economy, improving public sector performance, and training people for 21st century jobs.

Prospects for the 113th Congress

[Commentary] Three forces fuel today's gridlock in Washington.

First, divided party control of government raises the bar against major policy change.
Second, legislative parties have polarized over the past half-century, even though Americans remain centrist in their policy views.
Third, stalemate is fueled by bicameral disagreement.

What do these trends portend for the new Congress? In many ways, the new Congress should look like the old one. Some of the incessant partisan fighting might lessen now that the president no longer faces the challenge of reelection, but elections always loom large for members of the House and a third of the Senate, so pressures from the parties' activist bases will continue to pull legislators to the extremes. Democrats will resist major changes to government entitlement programs, preferring to resolve the country's fiscal mess by raising new revenues through the tax code. Republicans will continue to push for spending cuts on discretionary and mandatory programs, rejecting moves to tax the wealthy to reduce the deficit. In other words, prospects for a grand bargain over taxes and spending remain dim. Legislative stalemate creates few winners and comes at high cost. By delaying action on the nation's long-term fiscal needs and policy priorities, Congress undermines public confidence and threatens the nation's economic health and public welfare now and into the future.

Benton

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