Former President Teddy Roosevelt once suggested that the way to achieve success and respect is to speak softly and carry a big stick. FCC Chairman Michael Powell last week provided an axiom for addressing competition issues in telecommunications: If the stick you have isn't big enough to get the job done, get a bigger stick. In a letter sent to the Senate and House Commerce Committees, Powell asked Congress to give him that stick by increasing the limit on fines imposed on carriers that violate local competition provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 from the current $1.2 million to at least $10 million per incident.
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