Choosing VeriSign to sign the root now means long term US govt control of the root as a whole VeriSign is under a separate direct contract with the US government with no requirements for involving the public. While public participation is integral to the IANA Function. If VeriSign signs the root as part of this separate contract with the US govt, security and stability arguments will be used to never allow the signing - and therefore the editing and distribution functions - to ever leave VeriSign and tight US govt control. Without comments to the NOI from international stakeholders saying no to VeriSign signing the root, US governmental control will be further consolidated (edit,sign and distribute) in an entity that has responsibility only to its employer and nothing to the public.