Federal court rules against FTC no-call list

From the Best of the Web, Opinionjournal.com, 9/25/03

Whoever said Congress was slow to act? By a vote of 412-8, the House has approved legislation "to ratify the authority of the Federal Trade Commission to establish a do-not-call registry." Senate action may follow this afternoon. The vote comes a day after a federal judge, Lee West of Oklahoma, ruled that existing law does not authorize the FTC to establish the registry, which is to go into effect Oct. 1.

Here's a list of lawmakers who voted in favor of the telemarketers:

Rob Bishop (R., Utah)
Chris Cannon (R., Utah)
Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.)
Kendrick Meek (D., Fla.)
Ron Paul (R., Texas)
Tim Ryan (D., Ohio)
Ted Strickland (D., Ohio)
Lee Terry (R., Neb.)

The lead plaintiff in the case was the Direct Marketing Association, a trade group for the telephone-harassment industry. It strikes us that even if Congress had not acted, and even though they prevailed in court, bringing this lawsuit was an awfully boneheaded thing to do. The ruling left telemarketers free to call people who have already gone through the trouble of making their hostility to such calls known. What does this accomplish beyond ticking off the "customers" even further? Perhaps someone will call the DMA at the phone numbers listed on this page and point this out.

"I don't see why people were for this list. Telemarketers are just like any other business. If I don't like them calling I just hang up on them. I also have caller ID so I know who is calling. What happened to conservatives for free enterprise and capitalism?"

Bad argument.

We have the right to not be bothered. I don't even want to have to hang up. I'm tired of stopping what I'm doing (work, shower, dinner,play, television, sleeping, relaxing, visiting with family, Etc.)only to find some brain damaged telemarketer on the other end of the line.

This bill is in the interest of the telemarketer! It culls our bad prospects line ME who will NEVER buy, and will NEVER donate over the phone!

Then they can move on to some poor old person who is so lonely that even a sales call is welcome.

These are the telemarketers prey anyhow! Much evidence and congressional hearings point to this.

There is NOTHING that cannot be bought cheaper somewhere else!

"I don't want to listen to my neighbor's dogs barking all the time either, but there ain't a stinkin' thing I can do about it. Telemarketers, barking dogs, boom boxes...no wonder some people go off the deep end. I hate my neighbors and their barking dogs. There ya go, ya got me started now...GGRRRRRR"

Your comment touched me deeply... I bought property and built a house in the country. (To enjoy the peace and quiet. Later a guy moved in next door who has a sled dog team and is bording one from a friend.

You should hear these "wolves" tune up and howl as a pack!

Also several neighbors have installed mercury vapor lights. Can't see the stars anymore!

Sigh....[:(

"Have a tape recording or a .wav file of a woman screaming. When the telemarketer calls, start the screaming and in your weirdest serial killer voice, start going on about how she just won't die....

Love your posts Laz, But if I did this, the cops, EMT squad and the Fire Co. would show up at the house and break all the windows, blow down the front door, shoot my dog....you get the idea.

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