I’ve been seeing great letters to the Enterprise Record lately and decided to get back in the saddle. The media spin on the city chambers remodel really pissed me off – shills! So I wrote the following letter about the conversation I had with $taff regarding same – they just took another $25,000 for the project and council had the nerve to laugh about our complaints that they aren’t fixing roads.
Watch that here – jump ahead to Item 4.5 – and be sure to pay attention to comments made by Andrew Coolidge and laughter from other councilors at the end of Presson’s report.
http://chico-ca.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=721
Here’s Presson’s written report:
http://chico-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=720&meta_id=58377
Remember, this money came out of the pockets of everybody who uses Comcast. Isn’t that a SCREAM!?!
On March 6 Chico City Council approved a Budget Modification and Supplemental Appropriation, transferring $25,000 in available PEG (Public Education and Government) funds to cover additional costs associated with the Council Chamber Technology upgrade.
This project, a complete gutting of council chambers for replacement not only of “technology” but new seating, carpeting, paneling, etc, started late last year and has run over Staff’s original estimate of $343,287.67.
PEG fees are paid by Comcast customers as required by city ordinance 2368, passed by council in 2007, a fee of one percent of gross revenues added to our bills, in addition to the existing franchise fee also paid by Comcast ratepayers.
According to Staff interpretation, PEG funding is restricted to “equipment purchases, upgrades, or a capital project such as this current project…the city is responsible for ensuring the general public has access to the Public Access Channel…”
The new seats, carpeting and wall paneling are included, according to clerk Debbie Presson, because “unexpected things came up …we didn’t even have a diagram of what was going on in there… once we started tearing into the wall…”
Then council had a big laugh – the very idea that this money would be used to fix city streets had them all in titters.
Yes, how funny – they passed an ordinance adding a fee to our Comcast bills, and now they spend it as they please. What next, a sales tax increase?
Juanita Sumner, Chico CA
Chico Taxpayers Association 
That’s why my Comcast bill is through the roof. There’s over $20 dollars of taxes and fees added onto my monthly bill. Not very funny. They take money from mostly low income and working class people every month, just trying to watch a little TV when they get done working all day. I read that cities are even looking into taxing the apps on your phone. They don’t stop scheming on ways to get more of our money. Unlike most addicts, they have no shame.
Thanks Dude, I wish more people would look at their bills and ask questions. The city of Chico passed their ordinance 10 years ago, quickly, quietly – like a junkie stealing from his gramma’s purse!