Verizon Sues Montgomery County, Maryland -- County Council Fires Back.

As reported by www.broadcastingcable.com, Verizon is now suing Montgomery County in Maryland. Many surmise that it is an attempt to push through more incumbent-friendly federal legislation:

Council VP Marilyn Praisner said in a statement: “I am stunned to have these false accusations by Verizon leveled against Montgomery County. Repeatedly I have urged Verizon to submit a cable franchise and yet they have refused while posturing publicly before the Management and Fiscal Policy (MFP) Committee that they were committed to working with us....Verizon just doesn't want to play by the same rules as everyone else. The County has been more than patient with Verizon. We facilitated the deployment of their fiber optic technology even though it created construction problems in our neighborhoods and caused disruption of service for [incumbent cable operator] Comcast and others. This lawsuit is not really about Montgomery County. It is Verizon’s attempt to influence federal legislation. It is about eradicating the role of local government, the government closest to the people, and our efforts to protect consumers and our local rights-of-way.”