I urge ICANN to retract its proposed new contract with Verisign providing for a series of annual wholesale price increases. As a digital good, one might well expect the price of domain registration to decline over time rather than to rise continuously. An important role of the internet is as a public commons, and it should be a goal of those who enable the foundational structure of the internet to maximize the opportunity for participation rather than erect increasingly higher economic barriers. Domain name registration should be treated as a public utility rather than as a profit center, operated with the minimum expense needed to achieve its goals, and providing a utility-like return on whatever invested capital it requires. The proposed changes in ICANN's relationship with Verisign seem contrary to this perspective. Jim Edlin jim.edlin@webmond.com | 415-810-1425