RE $50 Million NSF windfall??

[Mark Richmond]

I noted with interest todd Wallaces' article on page one of Network World this week (3/10/97).  The NSF Inspector General thinks they should reclaim the rights to dole out domain names, due to the massive revenue stream generated.  They think they could recoup some of the US.gov initial 'net development costs.  

Apparently NSI has been unable to make money, taking in only about $50 Million dollars a year.  Uncle Sam thinks he can do better.  Could it be that there is an organization more wasteful and reckless with money than Uncle?

All this, of course,  leads us back to ARIN.  If NSI wants to drop number assignments, but loses the contract next year, who decides?  Do we go through all this as an exercise, then scrap it when the new regime takes over?  If there is a new regime . . .