If elected Mayor, I will place a small line in the city budget which will provide $6,000.00 dollars in funding for the Public Access Commission. This line item will be strictly for rental of studio space for Public Access Television. It will be the responsibility of the P.A. Commission to raise additional money or to seek funding from other participating municipalities for additional equipment.
I consider it very important that Public Access be restored. I cannot begin to tell you how many people have asked me when or if Public Access is returning. It might surprise some to know that this question is the most frequent question I have been receiving while campaigning door to door this year for Mayor. People in Kingston miss Public Access and very much want it restored.
Public Access allows not only for people to have their own programs, but also gives the Mayor, Common Council, and city government the opportunity to make important announcements and inform the public of the happenings of city government. Private businesses, church groups, and private organizations were able to use the community calendar to announce upcoming events and functions. There were programs offered by politicos, doctors, lawyers, religious organizations, patrons of the arts, and even private citizens talking baseball and other sports. It is a valuable tool and was enjoyed by many citizens.
I promise that if I am elected Mayor, I will restore Public Access Television and, if necessary, submit legislation to reforge the Public Access Commission. Considering that the City of Kingston receives over $300,000.00 a year from the franchise fee on people's cable bills, there is no reason why $6,000.00 cannot be found in a yearly budget of over $34 million to return Public Access Television to the air. This is especially so in light of recent news of a nearly $1 million dollar surplus from the 2010 budget.
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9 comments:
Rich, you are way off the mark. I completely agree with Mayor Sottile's decision to get rid of public access. Take a good, hard look at what has transpired in public access: shady fundraisers, obscenities in the programming, alcohol and strippers on the show, fights in board meetings, and a group unable to pay it's bills.
Does this sound like a quality organization to you? Has public access met it's responsibilities and obligations? Public access TV would be a great asset to the community if managed properly and run according to all pertient rules and regulations.
2:21,
Mayor Sottile has announced no such decision to my knowledge.
Additionally, please note my comment regarding submission of legislation to reforge the Commission. This addresses your comment:
"Public access TV would be a great asset to the community if managed properly and run according to all pertinent rules and regulations."
It is necessary to make changes, but Public Access should not be disbanded or allowed to die.
Rich
First know this, I support you for mayor, but my support is waivering...
First, no one really gives a hoot about public access, when we have bodies washing up on shore monthly, taxes going through the roof, union contracts that are not sustainable, duplication of services, employees accused of sexual harrassment, theives in charge, and a city that looks like hell, and cant even throw a party for the 4th of July.
Why would you waste time on public access?
Get in the game son, this is not a time to solicit a forum for you to have something to do on Monday nights, we need a serious no nonsense businessman with vision for the future and the balls to take on the county and state to stop the flood of filth coming in, and attract some business with insightful thought and plans.
Keep messing around with this crap, and you will be back on the TV bitching about the new mayor, not the MAN in charge.
C'mon get in the game, stop BS'ing
The statement above is really the truth. Rich, It's about time to stop the grand standing on TV and really put forth a real game plan for Kingston......
Thanks,
LSD
Is $300,000 a correct figure and how do we know it is currently correct?(and if so, why can't some of it be used to hire at least one laborer for DPW(when yard waste pickup and leaf pickup and all that is being reduced)?
Rich, How much money do you have for the campaign trail? Remember you have to campaign in the primary also. Levin, Gallo and Clement can raise thousands of dollars and you don't even have a campaign headquarters yet.
For the good of your family and Kingston get out now and save face. The beating you'll take in September will end your political career.
6:21 AM,
If the Republican voters do not choose me, I can live with that and so can my family.
I am not concerned about my "career" in politics. I am concerned only about the betterment of Kingston.
I am running in the Primary election and I intend to win it.
7:01 PM,
I am the ONLY candidate for Mayor who has been putting forth a plan.
There is a great need for public access, which is why there is so much opposition to it. But, the politicians would prefer of course to use the money from the cable bills set asdie for this purpose to continue feathering their own nests or at least have it there in case they decide to do just that.
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