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Mr. Kleckner, a retired AT&T engineering manager, asked the <br />Board to take no action on this complex issue that took three <br />decades of court hearings and testimony before it was settled in <br />a 1982 antitrust suit that led to the breakup of AT&T. He <br />believed that the monopolies that the Bell companies now enjoy in <br />their regional service areas would only increase in scope. He <br />also believed that the money that customers pay for local phone <br />service would go into the development of equipment and markets, <br />which would only bring more profits to the Bell companies without <br />a payback to the customers. <br />Mike Todd, a current AT&T employee, spoke as a concerned <br />citizen about the Bell companies. He felt they want to end the <br />competition.and have everyone dance to their tune, and noted that <br />since the breakup of AT&T, long-distance telephone prices have <br />dropped, making for healthy competition. <br />Bill Koolage, 815 26th Avenue, felt that in the end, vertical <br />integration has cost the average user. In fact, he would like to <br />see AT&T get into cable television. Personally, he believed that <br />the breakup of AT&T was the foulest thing that ever happened in <br />America. He urged the Board to adopt the resolution supporting <br />the lifting of restrictions. <br />Commissioner Bird felt the very expert testimony we have <br />heard this morning just supports what he said earlier, that he <br />finds it difficult to sit here and be a self-proclaimed expert on <br />such a complex issue. He would not be in favor of asking our <br />legislators to support lifting the restrictions. <br />ON MOTION by Commissioner Scurlock, SECONDED by <br />Commissioner Bowman, the Board unanimously agreed <br />to take no action on this matter. <br />43 <br />C 41990 FA E <br />