Telecom Expense Management

Seems like you can’t get away from politics anywhere these days. And no, this article has nothing to do with New Hampshire.

According to a local Sault Ste. Marie news channel, there is a new political entity in Canada: The Online Party of Canada - OPC, www.onlineparty.ca, @onlinepartyca.

Nice to see a political entity where the “O” doesn’t stand for “Occupy” as well.

Party officials describe it as a new federal political party pending registration, offering “a modern, direct-democracy political alternative. We promote continuous 'referendum-like' online voting based on issues, not parties, platforms or individuals. Our elected officials are legally bound to act based on the majority vote on every issue -- the first and only political party that enforces accountability.”

Michael Nicula, the party's founder, said OPC “is calling on Canadians to take political action via Internet by commenting, voting and sharing the many telecomm-related issues on our website -- the only way of fighting the system effectively.”

What brought about the impetus for such an organization? As party officials say, a year ago, Canadian RadioTV and Telecomm Commission tried to impose Internet Usage-Based Billing, accompanied by “improper Government intervention.” The decision was put on hold. CRTC then introduced UBB Redux (News - Alert), which OPC officials call “a less outrageous decision,” yet one which is still in the service of “advancing the agenda of the Telecomm Empire, Bell and Rogers.”

It seems the specific grievances, among others, OPC have are that Canada ranks “embarrassingly low in terms of quality and outrageously high in terms of prices of Internet, phone and television services compared to many third-world countries,” and that “relaxed regulations have allowed telecomm companies to grow into dangerously big and diversified (Internet, television, radio, printed) media behemoths.”

The end result? They “make or break political campaigns at will.”

The Dash Show -thedashshow