Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!udel!rochester!kodak!ispd-newsserver!ism.isc.com!ico!rcd
From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Retaliate against Robot salesmen (Update)
Summary: but various vested interests oppose it
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.192524.6825@ico.isc.com>
Date: 9 Apr 91 19:25:24 GMT
References: <1991Apr1.033719.899@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu> <1991Apr7.164924.6137@bilver.uucp>
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 34

bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes:
> Well if enough people will voice their opinions perhaps your state can do
> something.

Lots of folks in Colorado voiced their opinions about junk calls.  The bill
never made it out of committee.  Of course, Colorado has arguably one of
the worst legislatures in the nation.

> Here in Florida it is against the law to user computer calling unless the
> calling firm has business with the called person...

That's not bad IF the interpretation of "business with" is strict.

> All who make unsolicted calls MUST abide by that list.  Two exceptions.
> One is charitable orginizations, the others are newspapers soliciting
> subscriptions.  (Guess who must have had a lobby at the capitol).

That's a bad exception, 'cause some of the worst offenders we get here are
the newspapers.  They won't leave you alone for any reason--not even if you
take the paper!

The Colorado bill, for the brief moments it lasted, had exceptions like the
one you mention for "business with callee" but it also extended to allowing
calls to remind people that warranties were about to expire--which opens
the door to all the extended-warranty scamming.

Worse yet--and the reason I don't think you're likely to see no-junk-call
bills get very popular:  The CO bill had a provision exempting political
calls (forget the exact wording, but it allowed phone campaigning and
fund-raising).  Think about it--this is one reason the bills have moved so
slowly:  politicians use phone solicitation.
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   ...Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been.