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Big Tech Squashes New York's 'Right To Repair' Bill (huffingtonpost.com)

Posted by msmash on from the apple-vs-right-to-repair dept.

Damon Beres, writing for The Huffington Post: Major tech companies like Apple have trampled legislation that would have helped consumers and small businesses fix broken gadgets. New York state legislation that would have required manufacturers to provide information about how to repair devices like the iPhone failed to get a vote, ending any chance of passage this legislative session. Similar measures have met the same fate in Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts and, yes, even previously in New York. Essentially, politicians never get to vote on so-called right to repair legislation because groups petitioning on behalf of the electronics industry gum up the proceedings. "We were disappointed that it wasn't brought to the floor, but we were successful in bringing more attention to the issue," New York state Sen. Phil Boyle (R), a sponsor of the bill, told The Huffington Post.

4 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. Gum up the proceedings? by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    . Essentially, politicians never get to vote on so-called right to repair legislation because groups petitioning on behalf of the electronics industry gum up the proceedings.

    Leave it to the Huffington Post to somehow blame lobbyists without blaming the people they lobby. The only way they "gum up the proceedings" is by their influence with the leaders in the legislature, who are the ones who actually control the proceedings.

    A bill doesn't get a vote in the legislature because not enough of the right members wanted to vote on it (for a variety of reasons, I'm sure). You can't blame that strictly on the lobbyists without removing the responsibility of the members of the NY State Assembly and Senate for what they decide to vote and pass.

    --
    The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    1. Re:Gum up the proceedings? by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Leave it to the Huffington Post to somehow blame lobbyists without blaming the people they lobby.

      Yeah well, don't blame them either. Unless you plan on voting them out, it makes you look fat. With a 95% reelection rate, the blame obviously lies elsewhere. The voters are rewarding bad behavior. Nothing can possibly change until that issue is acknowledged and dealt with.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  2. SubjectsInCommentsAreStupidCauseTheSubjectIsTFA by lesincompetent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The rest of the world calls it corruption.
    The US calls it 'lobbying'.

  3. It is clear. Just look. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Our "democratic" process is just an elaborate dog-and-pony show designed to make us feel like we have a voice in governance, when really the only voices that matter are those of the super-rich.

    People get really defensive when I point this out, because they like believing that we live in a democracy (ahem, constitutional republic), and that our representatives represent us, and that our votes matter.

    Wanting something to be true does not make it true.