kevinc@uunet.uu.net (Kevin Collins) (02/16/91)
The following is quoted from an article in {Communications Week},
February 4, 1991:
"Under an agreement announced last week, US Sprint Communications Co.
will give the Democratic National Committee five percent of the rate
charged for every call that is made by a customer who has switched to
US Sprint at the prompting of the committee. And the same amount will
be donated from calls made by current US Sprint customers who have -
at the behest of the Democrats - signed up for a special US Sprint
calling card."
The article goes on to say that a spokesman for US Sprint viewed the
arrangement as a "paid commission for bringing us new customers". When
a DNC spokesman was asked if such a program would promote favoritism
of US Sprint by the Demos, he replied "I don't think it will be that
lucrative to affect us." Can we take this to mean that something a
little more lucrative *would* affect them :-)? But seriously, why is
the DNC in this agreement if not to make money? How ethical is it for
a long distance carrier - a member of a *regulated* industry - to be
paying a national political party to influence potential customers?
Furthermore, US Sprint reportedly plans to offer a similar deal to the
Republican National Committee. So, now we may have both major parties in
this country holding a vested interest in a company (US Sprint) whose
chief competitor (AT&T) Congress regulates - sounds interesting, no?
Kevin Collins | Aspect Telecommunications
USENET: ...uunet!aspect!kevinc | San Jose, CA
Voice: +1 408 441 2489 | My opinions are mine alone.