A recent editorial in the Portland Press Herald regarding robocalls (“Our View: Give phone providers tools to stop robocalls,” Oct. 12) only touched briefly on what these unwanted nuisance calls do to Maine seniors.
My wife and I are 86 years of age, and it is not easy to check all these calls from the legitimate callers. Many calls recently are the spoofing type, with the caller ID being a local number; some offshore telemarketers even are using someone else’s ID, without the owner knowing anything about it.
I’ve made two complaints to the Federal Communications Commission, and so far it has done no good. This is typical of government interference: It talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.
The government deregulated the telephone industry in the name of innovation but created a monster that is costing billions in time and money. I am on a first-name basis with the Maine Public Utilities Commission and Public Advocate’s Office, but their excuse is that the Legislature and the federal government have declawed their ability to protect we the consumer. Government at work again!
An obvious indication as to how well the federal government protects us is the ineffective “Do Not Call” list that conveniently left out political calls. Looks like the fox guarding the henhouse to me. It is way past time to yell and scream at our rich members of Congress and the FCC to repair what they have broken. It is equally obvious that if the federal government got off its behind, then the telephone companies could do more to help than selling call blockers.
George A. Fogg
North Yarmouth
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