From: "Mike Britten" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Aug 10, 2006 12:23 PM
Subject: Converter Boxes

Once again consumers are positioned to absorb the primary cost of an effort lobbied heavily by those who manufacture, distribute and retail televisions. What better way to sell more product than a mandate without consumer choices. Why not mandate:

1. All retailers (brick & mortar to Internet sites) should be required by October 15, 2006 to post big signs that say, "THIS TELEVISION WILL NOT WORK AFTER FEBRUARY 18, 2009".
2. It should be illegal to manufacture (not that any are actually made in the U.S.), and more importantly import into the U.S. any analog televisions or other communication devices this law pertains to after January 1, 2007.
3. The cost of the converter boxes should be absorbed by those who manufacture, distribute and retail them, not be the taxpayer.
4. If the taxpayers do end up footing the bill, it should be applied equally to all CITIZENS of the U.S. and not some "Oh wo is me song and dance" from some groups. Everyone should be treated equally and the governments (federal, state, local) should not hire a few thousand people to govern and administer the distribution of the converter boxes. Somebodies must start thinking about the tax and overhead costs before they implement changes like this one.
5. Did anyone think to ask, "Can the typical consumer really tell the difference between analog and digital reception and do they really care?.

Michael J. Britten PhD