I guess I should say a word about my motives in reposting the telephone study. I did *not* intend to endorse everything it said. I simply felt that the topic is important, and that the evidence is interesting. As for the specific question of basic service versus long distance, there are different ways to interpret the study's findings. My policy conclusion would be that some mechanism be sought to permit people who fail to pay for their long distance calls to continue to receive basic service. But I must admit I don't know very much about these issues... Peter Dorman
