As we mentioned earlier today, 20 states have laws on the books that ban or severely limit municipal efforts to launch broadband services that compete with the likes of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and their cronies. And several states, including Kansas, are trying to enact industry-backed laws of their own to prevent cities from offering competitive Internet service. Comcast was supposed to be showing off its home security service at the home of the Kansas lawmaker who introduced that state’s ridiculous legislation, but has backed out of it after the media started asking questions.
Kansas State Senator Julia Lynn was intended to play host to a Comcast showcase of its connected-home products. But then the Kansas City Star began asking whether it was okay for a lawmaker — let alone one who supported legislation that would have benefited Comcast immensely by allowing it to continue operating regional monopolies — to be seen as actively promoting products for the nation’s largest cable and Internet provider.
That’s when Comcast suddenly pulled the plug on the event, but denies any impropriety. Kabletown claims that the Senator did not get any goods or services for free from Comcast.
The lawmaker, whose attempt to ban muni broadband is dead for now, says all she was trying to do was give herself and others a better idea of how home security systems work.
“If there is a venue to do that as a state senator, what’s the problem with that?” she asked, blissfully ignorant of the phrase “conflict of interest.”
Yeah, and we’re sure that Gordon Ramsay would speak so lovingly of Walmart steaks if he wasn’t being paid to, or the trainers on The Biggest Loser would still be extolling the virtues of Subway sandwiches even if it wasn’t a sponsor.
How does Sen. Lynn ever expect to make the jump to being a U.S. Senator without knowing how to shill for companies without being so flippin’ obvious about it?
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