Difference between revisions of "2008-01-07 We Forget What It Was Really Like Under the Clintons"
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<p>Clinton himself summed up the principle guiding his initiatives in his famous declaration, "The era of big government is over."</p> | <p>Clinton himself summed up the principle guiding his initiatives in his famous declaration, "The era of big government is over."</p> | ||
| − | <p>The [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]] was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years. The broadcasting industry couldn't get the legislation through under [[Reagan]] or [[George H.W. Bush]], but it succeeded under Clinton. The day he signed the bill into law, Clinton boasted, "Landmark legislation fulfills my administration's promise to reform our telecommunications laws in a manner that leads to competition and private investment, promotes universal service and provides for flexible government regulation."</p> | + | <p>The [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]] was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years. The broadcasting industry couldn't get the legislation through under [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] or [[George H.W. Bush]], but it succeeded under Clinton. The day he signed the bill into law, Clinton boasted, "Landmark legislation fulfills my administration's promise to reform our telecommunications laws in a manner that leads to competition and private investment, promotes universal service and provides for flexible government regulation."</p> |
<p>The Act removed the legal barriers to local and long distance phone companies acquiring each other. The results were immediate and massive. In 1996 there were eight major U.S. companies providing local telephone service and five significant long-distance companies. By 1999, these 13 companies had merged into five telecommunications giants, in a series of record-breaking merger deals.</p> | <p>The Act removed the legal barriers to local and long distance phone companies acquiring each other. The results were immediate and massive. In 1996 there were eight major U.S. companies providing local telephone service and five significant long-distance companies. By 1999, these 13 companies had merged into five telecommunications giants, in a series of record-breaking merger deals.</p> | ||