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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Hucks: Do-Not-Call List Has Hangups

Seems one lobbyist with past ties to the Idaho Legislature has more clout than a million Idahoans. How else can you explain the unanimous vote by the House State Affairs Committee in favor of compromising Idaho’s popular do-not-call list? More than 1 million Idahoans have signed up for the list, which blocks pesky telemarketers. But panel members, like Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, brushed off that wide and deep resentment when lawmaker-turned-lobbyist Jim Clark, of Hayden, came calling last week with a sob story. The restrictions (sniff!) prevent phone, cable and cellular companies (sniff!) from cold-calling their customers to sell them new products (honk!). Clark represents Frontier Communications. Said Barbieri, who received a $150 donation from Clark for his 2012 GOPrimary race: “I think, given the inequities here, we should eliminate the restriction for telephone companies.” Ninety-six percent of voters in a Huckleberries online poll disagree. P’haps Barbieri’s constituents should call him at suppertime to explain to him the error of his ways?/DFO, Sunday Huckleberries. More here.

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D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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