A state senator asks where are the new jobs that were promised in the controversial cable deregulation bill? In fact, a main backer of the bill AT&T has done the opposite and announced last week it is laying off 180 workers by the end of the year. Senator Judy Robson (D-Beloit) who opposed the bill, is disappointed the bill promised, "hundreds if not thousands of jobs," yet is now laying off employees in Milwaukee. Among the jobs slated to be slashed are technicians who've been setting up the AT&T television and high speed internet service.
Robson says the "complicated" measure passed without proper scrutiny from legislators. The Beloit Democrat says the promise of creating new jobs enticed lawmakers to pass it through on a bi-partisan basis.
"I think that is was a move to sweeten the deal with a lot of legislators creating jobs, at the same time deregulating a monopoly.
The bill, signed into law in December 2007, was also intended to augment consumer choice in the state.
