Time for a quick reality check. The Federal Communications Commission regulates older media sectors and communications technologies: broadcast radio, broadcast TV, telephones, satellites, etc. These sectors and technologies are growing increasingly competitive and face myriad new, unregulated rivals. What, then, is wrong with this picture?
Seriously, I just don't get it. Why does the FCC's budget keep growing without constraint? Why does it need $313 million and nearly 2,000 bureaucrats to regulate industries and technologies that could do just fine, thank you very much, without endless meddling from DC. It seems to me like all those unregulated rivals are doing just fine without the FCC serving as market nanny, so why not cut the flow of funds to the FCC for awhile and see what happens?
This agency needs to be put on a serious diet. There's just no excuse for this level of spending in an era when the market is growing more competitive. Check out the entire FCC 2008 budget here if you are interested in their profligate spending habits.
(And just imagine how much more the agency will be spending once Net neutrality regulations get put on the books!)