[HCoop-Discuss] Re: [bkhl] [docelic] [leitgebj] Federal legislationaffecting HCoop operations

[Nathan Kennedy]

On Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:28:49 +0100, Davor Ocelic <docelic at hcoop.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:52:44 -0500
> Nathan Kennedy <ntk at hcoop.net> wrote:
>> All right, I'll wait to hear from other directors (and members).  If
>> other boardmembers have similar reservations or do not feel strongly
>> then I will abandon the idea of HCoop taking a position on the bill,
>> but I would still encourage everyone to contact their reps and
>> members of the House and Senate judiciary committees in their
>> individual capacity.
> 
> Being a non-US Board member, I don't have useful input on the subject.
> 
> -doc

Fair enough, given the response so far I think it's appropriate for me to
move away from the idea of HCoop as an organization taking a stance on this
bill.

However, in response to Davor's remark and for future purposes, although as
a rule persons who don't live or have citizenship in the United States
would not "have a say" in its laws, HCoop itself is an American corporation
and "corporate citizen,"--international in its membership but presently
organized under Pennsylvania laws and physically mostly operating in the
U.S. (although our upstream network providers are Canadian and British). 
All boardmembers, U.S. citizens or not, have an equal say and stake in how
American legislation affects the organization and the same duty to pay
attention to it.

In my previous email about FISA I particularly urged U.S. citizens to
contact their legislators since legislators are apt to pay more attention
to their constituents and that bill was up for a floor vote.  But even
non-U.S. members not on the board have a stake in this bill, since it
affects their hosting service and they could easily take their business to
another country, so all voices should be heard on this.

If anyone wants to individually act on this, the bill is now before the
Judiciary committees of the House and Senate.  Their members are at:
http://judiciary.house.gov/about/members.html
http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm

At this stage it would be appropriate to write to any and all members of
the committees, especially the chairmen.  If and when the bill gets out of
committee writing your own legislators would be of the essence.

-Nathan