Family Ties. Recently, Senator Fritz Hollings (D., S.C.) introduced a bill that would permit the seven regional telephone companies—the Baby Bells—to research, develop, and manufacture telecommunications equipment, a field now dominated by AT&T. In response, Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D., Ohio) offered a host of amendments that would either slow the Baby Bells’ entry into the market or place more restrictions on whom they could deal with.
The plot thickens when it is recalled that last year Hyatt Legal Services announced an agreement with AT&T whereby the telecommunications giant would subsidize legal services for those of its employees who are members of the Communications Workers of America through Hyatt—which happens to be headed by Mr. Joel Hyatt, son-in-law to Senator Metzenbaum.
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