I actually spoke with Rep. Towns this evening. It was 7:45 on the West Coast when I called and I didn't expect anyone to answer. I expected to get an answering machine like I did from the other representatives. At 10:45pm in Washington D.C. he was still in his office. Anyway, I was very nervous and working on staying respectful and constructive. I asked him why he voted against the Markley Amendemnt. His responses were in essence: The amendment was going to be defeated anyway. I then asked him what protections were going to be put in place to prevent corporations from creating an imbalanced Internet that does not serve the people, and that haven't we learned that corporations can not be trusted to act in the public interest. He said that we have to trust in "the FCC to do its job" and protect the people and that the amendment was just not rational. I asked him just how realistic was it to expect to regain public control of the Internet after it has been given to the corporations. Rep. Towns said the country was in "a mess" and democrats would hopefully win Congress and the White House, and that the party in control gets to make the appointments. Then the FCC would be able govern corporate behaviour. I next asked him if it wouldn't be more prudent not to give up public control in the first place thus by-passing the need to regain that control. He continued speaking in terms of the FCC doing its job. I was too stunned to ask him about the $22,000. I wish I could remember our discussion verbatim, but as I mentioned I was nervous.