FCC's Revolving Door

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

I happen to strongly agree with Cannon on this issue (and others).  
Mike and most if not all of the FCC are honest hardworking people who  
do not make decisions based on their future job prospects.

Dave Farber

Former Chief Technologist FCC


Begin forwarded message:

From: Robert Cannon <rcannon100 () yahoo com>
Date: August 12, 2005 3:02:00 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: FCC's Revolving Door


Washington politics is filled with accusations that
this person has sold out and that person has been
bought.  These amount to little more than
unsubstantiated rhetoric which inflames the dialog but
adds little to substance.  Whatever Powell was, he was
discipline to his ideology.  People may or may not
have liked his beliefs - but in some ways Powell was a
very predictable politician because his views came not
from whim but a discipline ideology.

What I want to respond to is the knee jerk reaction
about the revolving door.  The FCC is widely regarded
as one of the best agencies to work for.  People like
to work there.  People believe that working at the FCC
is something that will add to them professionally.
These are people that go out and work for a wide range
of opportunities.  Paul Margie from Commissioner Copps
office is going to go out and work for an UN ICT
project.  Other high ranking officials have gone out
and worked on rural telecom deployment.  One guy now
works for Skype, another for Pulver, another for
CLECs, some of course for the Bells.  Academics do
their sabbaticals at the FCC as a potentially great
short term experience (David Farber came as chief
technologist for a year or so).

The point:  The FCC is filled with brilliant people
working hard.  It is filled with brilliant people
because it is a good place to work and because it is
considered a form of graduate school.  Those who call
for slamming the revolving door shut should think
carefully about the impact that would have.  Who would
then possibly want to work for the FCC other than,
well, those who have no interesting in communications policy?

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