Wednesday, March 31, 2010

469. Bay Cablevision's 1991 Tea Party for El Cerrito's City Council




Published news story by Lurene K. Helzer, June 27, 1991, The Journal, “Cable company opposes utility tax”. This small story, below, running with photo of Bruce Molloy by Tina Dauterman, ran alongside 1991 story on the city’s budget. I can't locate Ms. Dauterman's photo today to use here.

Email Lurene in 2014 at lurenexyz@gmail.com

There seems to be a problem with the date cited in this story, June 24, 1991. It was either a cutting room error, or some other, because the story seems written for a previous issue of The Journal. I don’t know. It’s a bit late for correction, but I couldn’t help noticing it in 2010; “…plain as the nose on your face,” as Grandpa Jim used to say:



EL CERRITO – The City Council is expected to pass the Utility Users Tax in its final form June 24. The local cable supplier, Bay Cablevision, has been opposed to the tax since it first came up for discussion.

There was a question as to how much revenue the Utility Users Tax would bring. The budget assumes $1.2 million in revenue, but if the city extends the utility tax to international calls in addition to interstate calls, Randall said it may bring about $100,000 yearly more into the city, a rough estimate.

Bruce Molloy, vice president and general manager of the local cable supplier, which is affiliated with Cable Oakland, said, “We may have to take legal action” to oppose the tax. “These taxes are way, way out of line,” he said.

Molloy argued that cable companies already pay franchise fees and right-of-way fees. Subscribers may have to now pay not only El Cerrito’s new tax, but also an eventual state tax of 6 percent.

Bay Cablevision users may eventually have to pay a total of 28 percent for taxes, he said.

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