RH Jones to Brian Williams and Lyn Falk re: educational funding vs. cable monopoly

From RH Jones, June 25, 2007
Subject: Re: 06-14 Am. Sub S.B. 117 Seeks to End Cable Monopoly in Ohio

Brian Williams and Lyn Falk,

This legislation is all well & good; but, my opinion is that District 41's voting educators would prefer that you concentrate your major efforts in leading the State of Ohio in crafting legislation to correct the glaring deficiencies in education funding, and fighting to eliminate harmful legislation such as HB 151, 152 & [SB] 161 that, if passed, will have an extremely negative effect on Ohio's public retirement systems. This has a greater priority.

And the elimination of the charter community schools in Ohio is another high priority item needing corrective legislation. Voters expect that this drain on education funding be stopped. Ohio's voters gave a strong mandate in the last state election: Correct the problems with public education funding Pre-K-16. I for one registered voter expect Gov. Strickland (D), Rep. Bob Otterman (D) and you, Rep. Brian Williams (D), to get busy in making the necessary legislative changes in education funding. These issues are certainly more important than choices of TV legislation.

In the last election, education leaders backed politicians who were progressive in their thinking concerning education funding. Some of them are beginning to get upset with Democrats who, as reported by the front page in a USA Today, are in a new spirit of cooperation with the Ohio GOP. My question to you is: How can democrats "cooperate" with the GOP that has such a regressive and radically different idea concerning education funding and our public retirement systems? It is time to be progressive, not regressive. It is time to straighten out the mess left by so many years Ohio GOP control. It is time to act on the voter mandate!

RHJones, Proud member of CORE

From Lyn Falk, June 14, 2007
Subject: 06-14 Am. Sub S.B. 117 Seeks to End Cable Monopoly in Ohio

PRESS RELEASE - SB 117 - Cable Reform Legislation Am.

Sub S.B. 117 Seeks to End Cable Monopoly in Ohio

Press Release Brian G. Williams, State Representative, District 41 (which includes - portions of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls; All of Bath Township, Boston Heights, Boston Township, Copley, Fairlawn, Macedonia, Northfield Center, Northfield Village, Norton, Peninsula, Reminder Ville, Richfield Township, Richfield Village, Sagamore Hills, Twinsburg City and Twinsburg Township)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2007

Contact: Brian G. Williams
or Lyn Falk, 614-644-5085
Ohio House of Representatives
77 S. High Street
Columbus, Ohio, 43216

Sub S.B. 117 Seeks to End Cable Monopoly in Ohio

AKRON/COLUMBUS, OHIO – State Representative Brian G. Williams (D) (Ohio House District 41) today voted for S. B. 117. The controversial bill passed the House Public Utilities Committee unanimously on June 13th, and the today passed the House with a 92-2 vote. Representative Williams said: “I am pleased that the final bill is crafted in a way I can support. The original legislation was a dilemma for me. I want to be the voice of my constituents and still support my schools and local elected officials. That would not have been possible under the original legislation. The new bill promises a win-win result for all!”

In recent weeks, Representative Williams’ voice mail and e-mail accounts had been deluged with constituents demanding a positive vote for the legislation. They are looking for lower cable bills and better access to channel variety. At the same time, local officials and school officials called demanding a negative vote because they feared a loss of public television access channels, and lost municipal franchise income money. All of these things would have been true if the original legislation that passed the Senate had also passed the House. Happily, largely through intense negotiations of the House Democratic Caucus, the new bill should satisfy all parties!

The bill that passed the Ohio House today will allow municipalities to continue to collect the 5% franchise fee, as they have done in the past. Local school districts and municipalities will also benefit from public access channels because cable providers must supply 3 PEG (Public-Education-Government) channels. These PEG channels will be available under the basic tier of service; not just on premium packages.

Constituents called daily complaining about rising cable bills and asking for Rep. Williams' assistance by voting for the pending legislation. Reports indicated that Akron cable rates have risen nearly 40%* since 2000. Canton has seen a rate increase of 41% from 1999-2007. When it is considered that 100 million households have television, and of those 86% have cable or other satellite or video service, cable companies have been raking in the profits!* In states where cable reform has been instituted by the Legislature, the citizens have benefited from competition.

“Another plus of S.B. 117 is that it creates employment through the building of new infrastructures to support the changes. Laborers came to the Statehouse to rally for this bill, and cheered when the bill passed on the House floor! Nearly everyone left chambers feeling positive about this legislation,” Williams reported. ###30###

*Source: Freedom Works-“Assessing the Case for Cable Franchise Reform” by Diane S. Katz.