eBay is one of the Good Guys...

[Eric J in MN]

...or Good Gals.

Mass email today to eBay members in support of Net Neutrality (banning discrmination against websites.)


Meg Whitman, President of eBay

As you know, I almost never reach out to you personally with a request to get involved in a debate in the U.S. Congress. However, today I feel I must.

Right now, the telephone and cable companies in control of Internet access are trying to use their enormous political muscle to dramatically change the Internet. It might be hard to believe, but lawmakers in Washington are seriously debating whether consumers should be free to use the Internet as they want in the future.

Join me by clicking here -- http://www.ebaymainstreet.com/netneutrality -- to send a message to your representatives in Congress.

The phone and cable companies now control more than 95% of all Internet access. These large corporations are spending millions of dollars to promote legislation that would allow them to divide the Internet into a two-tiered system.

The top tier would be a "Pay-to-Play" high-speed toll-road restricted to only the largest companies that can afford to pay high fees for preferential access to the Net.

The bottom tier -- the slow lane -- would be what is left for everyone else. If the fast lane is the information "super-highway," the slow lane will operate more like a dirt road.

Today's Internet is an incredible open marketplace for goods, services, information and ideas. We can't give that up. A two-lane system will restrict innovation because start-ups and small companies -- the companies that can't afford the high fees -- will be unable to succeed, and we'll lose out on the jobs, creativity and inspiration that come with them.

The power belongs with Internet users, not the big phone and cable companies. Let's use that power to send as many messages as possible to our elected officials in Washington. Please join me by clicking here right now to send a message to your representatives in Congress before it is too late. You can make the difference.

Thank you for reading this note. I hope you'll make your voice heard today.

Sincerely,

Meg Whitman
President and CEO
eBay Inc.

You have to be an eBay member to use the link above, but anyone can call his or her Senators.

[LeftCoast]

1. Perhaps on this one issue, but eBay execs have something of a track record

of homophobia from what I hear. Give'em kudos for this, but do be careful of their other motives. :hi:

[Eric J in MN]

2. What did they do? NT

NT

[LeftCoast]

3. Tried to find a link, but no luck

:(

As I recall, they've had some problems with treating gay & lesbian employees fairly. This surprised me when I heard it because they're based here in the SF bay area. I wish I could give you more details.

[Fridays Child]

4. I wonder if Meg Whitman plans to stop personally supporting 'pukes.

From www.opensecrets.org:

WHITMAN, MEG MRS
SAN JOSE,CA 95125
E. BAY INC./PRESIDENT/C.E.O.
7/23/2003
$2,000
Bush, George W

[Eric J in MN]

5. She's donated more to Republicans,

...but she's given to Democrats, too:

http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/Meg_Whitman.php


Whitman, Margaret C.
BOXER, BARBARA (D)
Senate - CA
BOXER / DSCC '04 $4,000
primary 11/24/03

=========

I'm not defending her. I never heard of her before today.

[WePurrsevere]

7. That's the site I was looking for.. Couldn't find the bookmark ...

Thanks for posting this link. I've put it in a few other places and folders so hopefully I'll find it easier next time. I like that NewsMeat shows the political party the person doanted to is with. B-)

When you look at all she has donated to she still looks like a Rep but there are donations to a few Dem names I recognize as well... like Kerry back in 1999.

[WePurrsevere]

6. Meg's defintely a Republican but she apparently likes Barbara Boxer...

WHITMAN, MARGARET C
11/21/2003 $2,000 Boxer, Barbara
11/24/2003 $2,000 Boxer, Barbara

I'm not sure if all the rest are Repubs since I'm not familiar with every name.

OTOH... the founder & Chairman Pierre Omidyar and his wife are very much Dems and donate heavily to them.
and for this election cycle ebay itself has donated: $184,992 of which 57% went to Dems and 43% went to Repubs.

I guess the PTB are not about to put all their eggs in one political parties basket. ;)