The people of San Francisco have been gearing up for a historic renewal of their 40-year-old cable franchise. The City of San Francisco has been holding community hearings to gather the "community needs" that would serve as a basis for the negotiation of a renewal franchise with Comcast. Six of these hearings have already taken place; six more never took place.
At the same time that San Franciscans were coming forward with their demands for a new and better contract, the City was secretly negotiating with Comcast for a four-year extension of the old contract without paying attention to the needs of our communities. Comcast is forcing the City to accept this four-year extension with a take-it-or-leave attitude. This extension is mostly more of the same, and it is being fast-tracked at City Hall in exchange for 3.5 million dollars.
We need to remind the Mayor and the Supervisors to put the needs of San Francisco first. No more deals behind our backs!
--> Get an update from BeyondChron.org:
Supes Likely to Head Behind Closed Doors to Discuss Contentious Deal with Comcast, July 19, 2005
--> San Francisco Bay Guardian: Editorial: Reject the Comcast Deal, June 29, 2005
--> San Francisco Bay Guardian: City punts on cable contract, June 29, 2005
MAKE TWO PHONE CALLS!
Call the Mayor and your Supervisor and express your concern. Ask them not to sell out the public interest. The franchise extension ignores the needs of our communities. Ask the Supervisors and the Mayor to do the right thing--not to sell out for 3.5 million dollars and lock the City into a bad 4-year agreement. We need a new, better agreement, not a four-year extension of a forty-year old agreement.
Ask your Supervisor to hold public hearings on the franchise extension. Not a single public hearing has been held since the four-year extension deal was uncovered.
(Scroll below for phone numbers, faxes, and emails).
LEARN MORE
What's Wrong With the Proposed Cable Franchise Extension for SF?
CONTACT INFORMATION
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
(ph: 415-554-6141, fx: 415-554-6160, email: gavin.newsom@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, District 1
(ph: 415-554-7410, fx: 415-554-7415, email: Jake.McGoldrick@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, District 2
(ph: 415-554-7752, fx: 415-554-7843, email: Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Aaron Peskin, District 3
(ph: 415-554-7450, fx: 415-554-7454, email: Aaron.Peskin@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Fiona Ma, District 4
(ph: 415-554-7460, fx: 554-7432, email: Fiona.Ma@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, District 5
(ph: 415-554-7630, fx: 415-554-7634, email: Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Chris Daly, District 6
(ph: 415-554-7970, fx: 415-554-7974, email: Chris.Daly@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, District 7
(ph: 415-554-6516, fx: 415-554-6546, email: Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Bevan Dufty, District 8
(ph: 415-554-6968, fx: 415-554-6909, email: Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Tom Ammiano, District 9
(ph: 415-554-5144, fx: 415-554-6255, email: Tom.Ammiano@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, District 10
(Ph: 415-554-7670, fx: 415-554-7674, email: Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org)
Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, District 11
(ph: 415-554-6975, fx: 415-554-6975, email: Gerardo.Sandoval@sfgov.org)
