No to variable pricing

["Cheryl Gonzalez" <cheryl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To the ICANN Board,

I am firmly opposed to the variable pricing of domain names 
by the .org registry.

The proposed TLD Registry Renewal Contracts for .info,
.biz, and .org domains have a seriously flawed component whereby 
the registries will be able to operate without price controls.  
It is my belief that this proposed lifting of price caps will 
create a potential scenario that would be financially devasting 
to my business and to the business models of millions of 
business owners that own domains, not to mention the millions of 
non-profits and individual domain name owners who don't
use the internet for a business profits. 

The impact will be especially damaging to .org and .info domain 
owners and site operators who for the most part use .org and 
.info domains for non-profit, charitable organizations, and 
educational purposes. 

Under the proposal, a domain owner is left with no sense of 
security in the stability of the DNS system. The contract
proposal allows one company, the registry, at their whim, the 
ultimate control of what price each individual domain is 
charged.  Domains renew each year and are budgeted for, why are 
you taking the ability to plan this expense for the owners?

This goes against the grain of all the base principles upon 
which the Internet, and to my knowledge, ICANN was conceived.  
The lack of certainty on pricing will surely deter entrepreneurs 
and small businesses from investing and innovating their 
businesses online.  No company or individual would build their
business on this "shaky foundation" . 

Removing price caps not only creates an unstable market, it also 
creates a marketplace where extortion and bribery would be left
to occur without recourse.  It is clear that the registries have 
become educated about the value of that which they control, 
domains.  Left with no pricing control they will inevitably seek 
to maximize the revenue of the domain space they are 
controlling. What benefit does this provide to the 
internet users?

I am firmly opposed to the variable pricing of domain names 
by the .org registry.

Cheryl Gonzalez
407 Prinz Drive
San Antonio, Tx. 78213