AgdaPkt 2006-06-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHAT WILL AB 2987 MEAN FOR YOUR CITY? The May 26 amendments to AB 2987 only . Revenue Loss. The local government address marginal concerns the League has revenues from franchise fees are in jeopardy in the identified with the bill. The bill does little or nothing current language in the bill. Serious legal flaws to address the core issues for cities. This is remain. In its current form, the bill is a tax under what the bill in its current form will do to 3lQlI.[ the constitution of the state. The language needs to city: be amended to ensure that the traditional local franchise fee for local government is maintained . Discriminatorv. The bill permits video and not taken over and pre-empted by the state tax service providers to pick and choose the areas in currently in the bill. AJI.2, the bill narrows the a community that they will serve while ignoring definition of "gross revenues" that is the basis for other neighborhoods. Cities support competition calculating local government revenues, likely services in telecommunications, but it has to be resulting in a revenue loss. FAIR TO ALL CALIFORNIANS! Under current law, city officials decide the deployment of video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . services and have a record with the cable indus- AB 2987 from page 5 try to prove that all areas of a community have been served. Under this law, will AT&T and sign up to join the "No on AB 2987" coali- Verizon be put in charge of protecting the tion, fact sheets, a statement of coalition underserved? principles and other resources. . PEG Channels. Public access to broad. At the end of the day, we all want to achieve casting is not protected. The bill fails to ad- expanded consumer choice and help lower equately protect the community's public, educa- costs-not the illusion of reform or, worse still, tion and governmental (PEG) channels. These more expensive services and less choice. Let's are important assets in a community that permit take the time to do this right! the televising of community events, governmental (See also, "What Will AS 2987 Mean for deliberations and educational opportunities. The current language permits new video service Your City?") providers to ignore this commitment to the com- munity. . New State Bureaucracv Pre-emots Local Franchises. The bill establishes a new Stay Up-To-Date on Bills That state bureaucracy that will grow to regulate what May Impact Your City are essentially local decisions about the deploy- ment of new telecommunications services. In www.cacities.ora/billsearch short, the state is taking over local streets when it Become a regular user of the League's comes to industries providing video services. Have a problem on a local street? Go to Sacra- online Legislative Tracking System. The mento and ask the state to correct it! League's website is your gateway to all the information you need: bills sorted by subject . State Takes Over Local Riahts-of-Wav. areas, showing the bill history, current This bill fails to adequately protect the taxpayers' status, committee analyses, votes, and much more. You can even view League investment in public rights-of-way. New market letters of support or opposition, and access entrants, primarily telephone companies, want to the League lobbyist working on the bill. access local streets under rules they have written. PAGE 6 - PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the league's Official Website--www.cacities.org June 2, 2006 - Issue #22