"Do Not Call" Means Poorest May Lose Jobs

Cato Institute ^ | various | Various

[LowCountryJoe]

According to The Los Angeles Times, "Last summer, the federal government announced a national registry for consumers who want to block telemarketers from calling them. Americans rushed to sign up.

"Of the nation's 166 million residential numbers, 51 million are now off-limits to telemarketers. Despite ongoing court challenges, the list went into effect last month.

"The crackdown might be welcomed by consumers, but not by telemarketers like Millican, many of whom survive on the economic fringe. The nation has lost 2.6 million jobs in two years, and the 'do not call' list is expected to put hundreds of thousands more people out of work."

In "Like It Or Not, Free Speech Protects Telemarketers, Too", Cato's Robert Levy, senior fellow in constitutional studies, argues that "when government sets the rules, it must not discriminate based on the content of the calls. That's what the First Amendment means. Free speech is not subject to plebiscite, no matter how many millions sign up for no-call. [Supreme Court] Justice William Brennan got it right: 'If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.'"

[TexasCajun]

I have more respect for prostitutes than I do for tele-intruders!

Get over it and get a real job! I don't believe telemarketing is the only job these 'poor' people can find. There are any number of telephone customer service jobs to be had.

...a responsible person moves to where the jobs are, they don't wait for jobs to come to them!

[Publius6961]

We don't have enough different forms of welfare that we must institutionalize a new one?

Give me a break!

[Let's Roll]

And what do you do when someone knocks on your door and then runs? Chase them down the street and stomp them or when it gets bad enough, happens often enough, do you call that governmental agency known as the police?

These harrassing phone calls were blatant invasions of privacy. And we were paying for the privilege besides.

I will agree that it would have made more sense to "opt in" instead of out re receiving these calls. The list would have been much smaller and you could have received all the calls you wanted.

[palmer]

Or if you put a "No Solicitors" sign on your door,

What you've actually done is lobbied the government to put an agent in your front yard to fine solicitors without even bothering to buy a sign. There are alternatives to land lines with unsolicited calls, but people would rather get an entitlement from the government.

[palmer]

Harassment is definable and prosecutable. You haven't been harassed if you haven't been called.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

So?

[Jack of all Trades]

Then don't sign up for phone service, it's not an entitlement.

No it's not an entitlement, it's virtual door on my house that now has a No Soliciting sign on it. Stunting one's life to avoid the abuse of others is folly.

[The Clemson Tiger]

What you've actually done is lobbied the government to put an agent in your front yard to fine solicitors without even bothering to buy a sign.

I buy the sign. Every April 15th.

[palmer]

You didn't buy a virtual door. I did (cell phone with no unsolicited calls). You want your virtual door provided free of charge.

[SamAdams76]

As much as I can not stand these friggin TM calls, I still think they should not be barred from calling. If someone doesn't want the calling just say "thanks very much, bye!" Get a life!

I would like to get a life! That's why I don't want to be bothered all hours of the day by these infernal telemarketers. I work hard everyday making a living and I desire quiet evenings at home. Is that so bad? I do not wish to dedicate the remainder of my nights home to being polite to telemarketers who have called my house as many as a dozen times a day. If that makes me selfish, so be it. If you like, you can give me your phone number so I can forward their calls to you.

[palmer]

I prefer tax cuts over new bureaucracy.

[TexasCajun]

I'll address your issue of the use of government funds to maintain the Do-Not-Call List!

I'd rather my tax dollars be used for this than to support your liberal National Public Radio that I'm sure you listen.

No Sympathy!!

[palmer]

My friend was a successful telemarketer (no jobs when he got out of college). He is very honest and soft-spoken.

[Moosilauke]

...door-to-door salesmen...

Yeah, I read that in the WSJ. Actually, I'd find that less offensive than the telemarketers. At least the door-to-door guy is out hustling. The telemarketers are simply letting a machine dial the next number in a list and then they keep the poor sap who answers the phone waiting 5-10 seconds while the intruders finish up on the previous call. How many people stand there shouting "hello...hello" into the dead silence waiting for the intruder to deign to greet them? Not many I'd guess. Telemarketing is not rocket science, but you'd think they would at least recognize the simple fact that making the victim wait in line to be badgered is not going to increase his receptivity to the marketer's pitch.

[tomakaze]

re:"Do Not Call" Means Poorest May Lose Jobs
 
People are supposed ot cry for htses schmucks? How asinine.
Professional Irritants who can't work as Irritants anymore. boo. hoo. hoo.
 
Let's go after the damned spammers next. Legislation's useless - a $15 per ear bounty should tidy things up.

[gathersnomoss]

Has anyone else noticed that the silenced telephone has made dinner more enjoyable?

[Let's Roll]

I used the word "were" - I was called, weren't you?

And called and called for years. And never bought once - id nothing to encourage them.

[LowCountryJoe]

Just wait until we hear of the class action lawsuits where 'victims' win $100 million dollar settlements, the lawyers representing the victims get half of it, and the whole shenanigan costs the American taxpayer the entire amount. "Why?" you ask. Trial costs, maybe a few chapter 13 bankruptcies, maybe insurers picking up the tab will increase their premiums on the other small business owners. One thing is for sure: trial lawyers aren't typically conservative. In the end, a good conservative or 'troll' in my case, has to ask themself, "Is this something the federal government should be getting involved in?"

[palmer]

If the same caller called after you told them not to call, you have a case for harassment. Other than that, you do not.

[txdoda]

Maybe those telemarketers should go out and do the "jobs no american wants to do" so we can force the illegals out of our country. >>>


Yeah, since illegals are now bringing lawsuits against employers who hire them, there should be plenty jobs opening up for legals & Americans.

Anyway let the 'poorest' sign up for job 'retraining'......since this is *answer* given to the 'middle class' TAXPAYERS now worried about thier jobs.