<![CDATA[Gizmodo: eric massa]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: eric massa]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/ericmassa http://gizmodo.com/tag/ericmassa <![CDATA[Congress Readies Bill to Bring an End to ISP Data Caps6]]> The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Eric Massa, a Congressman in western New York, has readied a bill that would force ISPs to justify economic need for data caps and volume-based usage fees. This would effectively bringing those practices to an end (for the time being).

Ars Technica says the constituents in Massa's district have been subject to data caps from both of the available broadband providers, and Massa thinks that the lack of competition in the broadband market makes volume usage fees unnecessary and unfair to consumers.

Instead, he wants broadband to be treated more like a utility, with the Federal Trade Commission deciding whether or not data caps are fair. And with the current phone/cable duopoly structure in the broadband landscape, Massa thinks companies can do without usage fees.

That said, this bill still has to make its way through House, then Senate and then onto the President's desk. And there have already been a fair number of detractors both inside and outside of congress. Basically, it has a long way to go. [House of Reps via Ars Technica]

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<![CDATA[Congressman's Fuel Cell Road Trip Was Horrifically Inefficient]]> Congressman Eric Massa of NY tried to drive a fuel cell car from NY to DC to make an environmental point and to show how great fuel cell cars are. He failed at both.

Representative Massa made the 300 mile NY to DC trip in a car that has a maximum range of 200 miles. How? By enlisting the help of two SUVs to tow two fuel cell cars while not in use.

Massa drove one fuel cell car while a hybrid SUV [Chevy Tahoe] towing an additional SUV followed along. Once he got half way, he switched to new fuel cell car [which I assume was towed to the half way point sometime earlier so that it would be waiting for the environmentally-conscious congressman]. The empty fuel cell was then towed back by the first SUV. As he continued on his journey, the second SUV followed. Once Massa arrived in DC, the second SUV then towed the second fuel cell car back to NY.

So basically, one SUV traveled 400 miles and one SUV traveled 600 miles for a total of 1000 miles on a 300 mile trip. That's not even counting the mileage on the fuel cell car. Nice work there Captain Planet. [Famous DC via Boing Boing]

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