Thank you for Taking Action

[http://www.radicaldesigns.electricembers.net/~nobody]

Dear Senators  Escutia, Cox, Alarcon, Battin, Bowen, Dunn, Dutton, Kehoe, 
Senator Kevin Murray, and Simitian,
I am writing to express my opposition to AB 2987. I was disappointed that the 
legislation moved out of the Assembly failing to address the major flaws that 
have been identified in the bill.  As we recall the lessons learned from energy 
deregulation in 1996, a major bill of this scope should to be slowed down, and 
vetted with all interested parties rather than being rushed along with promises 
of future corrections. 

AB 2987 promotes discrimination. support competition in telecommunications 
services, but it must be FAIR FOR ALL CANS! AB 2987 permits new 
entrants in the video service industry to discriminate, picking and choosing 
the neighborhoods they will serve in a community, while ignoring other 
neighborhoods in the same community. Who will protecting the underserved?   
According to the bill, the Department of Consumer Affairs will only empowered 
to process applications, not evaluate their merit or enforce non-discriminatory 
provision of services.

AB 2987 harms local public, educational and government (PEG) access channels, 
as well as Institutional Networks (INETs) that are currently provided to local 
schools and libraries. These are important assets in our local communities that 
permit the televising of community events, governmental deliberations and 
educational opportunities.

AB 2987 replaces local negotiations with a statewide franchise, creating an 
unneeded new state bureaucracy. The bill establishes a new state bureaucracy 
that will essentially regulate what is currently a local franchise process. The 
new state bureaucracy will determine issues relating to local streets. In short,
 the state is taking over local streets when it comes to industries providing 
video services.

AB 2987 reduces our local revenues. The bill narrows the definition of "gross 
revenues" that is the basis for calculating local government franchise fees, 
likely resulting in a revenue loss which could have an impact on local public 
safety services and streets and roads.

Greater consumer choice is important; ensuring equity and the well-being of our 
cities is even more important.

Mr. Robert 
where-I-live USA 
http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert