Posted on 08/21/2003 1:17:41 PM PDT by rface
"Id be pretty ticked off" if the free-cable arrangement ended, said Leslie Bennett, a Paquin Tower resident who likes to watch Cardinals baseball on Fox Sports.
...if Virginia Piltz had to pay for cable TV, shed have to go without groceries..."Id go nuts if I didnt have it"
Virginia Piltz is confined to a motorized cart and hampered by the crumbling sidewalks and curbs around her Paquin Tower apartment as well as handicap-inaccessible stores and restaurants.
A simple trip to the movies becomes an expedition involving a special van. Piltz often relies on cable television to provide a window to the world via the Discovery, Food and Weather channels.
Thats why Piltz is dismayed by the possibility that Mediacom might stop free cable service to residents of Paquin Tower and Oak Towers, public housing high-rise apartments. Piltz is on a fixed income, and if she had to pay for cable TV, shed have to go without groceries if she wanted cable, she said.
"Id go nuts if I didnt have it," Piltz said.
On Monday, Columbia Housing Authority Executive Director Doris Chiles told the Columbia City Council that Mediacom had notified her of the possible change because the company could find no record indicating the company or its predecessors had pledged to provide the service.
If they dont find a letter that established the pledge as a practice, Mediacom officials said, they might have to start charging for the service.
The service costs $44.90 per month for the average consumer, although a bulk purchase by the housing authority would amount to fees of $35 per month, depending on what deal the city and housing authority could strike with Mediacom. The housing authority owns and operates both towers.
Chiles raised the issue in a hearing on the renewal of Mediacoms franchise contract with Columbia. Already, Mediacom has taken heat from local public-access cable proponents who claim the firm hasnt taken seriously its requests to establish a public-access cable channel.
The council is considering whether to renew Mediacoms cable contract with the city, where there are 46,000 subscribers.
"Were looking for a yes-or-no answer," Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Loveless said. "Will there be continued free service to Paquin and Oak towers?"
"The product isnt ours to give away," answered Arnold Cool, regional vice president for Mediacom, who attended the meeting with Mediacom Senior Director of Operations Gary Baugh and Mediacom Government and Community Relations Manager Stan Melton. "We need to clear it with the CEO."
Baugh said yesterday that the issue surfaced because Mediacom needs documentation to account for the free cable service it provides. Baugh said the firm is paying for the cable programming for the towers but isnt reimbursed for the service by the housing authority.
Baugh said the free programming could continue for the towers but it would have to be negotiated during renewal of the cable franchise. Otherwise, the housing authority would probably be billed at a bulk rate that would be decided during negotiations.
Chiles said the housing authority was unable to afford cable service for the 347 residents who now get it.
Regardless, Baugh said, no changes in cable service would occur until late next year or early 2005, when the new franchise agreement goes into effect. Baugh said free cable service has been provided to Paquin and Oak towers for as long as cable television has been available, but Mediacom hasnt been able to find a contract that commits the cable provider to that service.
Chiles told the council Monday that she hasnt been able to locate such a contract, either. The service also isnt mentioned in the citys ordinance regarding cable franchise regulations.
The matter has been referred to the councils cable television committee.
The residents at both buildings are anxiously awaiting the outcome.
"Id be pretty ticked off" if the free-cable arrangement ended, said Leslie Bennett, a Paquin Tower resident who likes to watch Cardinals baseball on Fox Sports.
Ahhh, the age of specialization. They've got a committee on cable tv and can't figure out why they were getting free service from the cable company. Somebody had to wire all those apartments and it didn't occur to anybody that they weren't paying for it. Just assumed it was a civil right, I suppose, like free internet, free telephone, free utilities and free medical care. It must me right there in the Constitution. Oooops, they lost their copy of that, too?
Clearly, she is pregnant.
What? now we gotta pay for that too?
Those evil stores and restaurants. And the crumbling sidewalks and curbs are part of a VRWC, no doubt. /sarcasm
Piltz is on a fixed income, and if she had to pay for cable TV, shed have to go without groceries if she wanted cable, she said.
From the photo, a fixed diet might allow her enough extra to pay for her cable.
Chiles raised the issue in a hearing on the renewal of Mediacoms franchise contract with Columbia. Already, Mediacom has taken heat from local public-access cable proponents who claim the firm hasnt taken seriously its requests to establish a public-access cable channel. The council is considering whether to renew Mediacoms cable contract with the city, where there are 46,000 subscribers.
IOW, it's our way or the highway, Mediacom.
How unfortunate that this article didn't bother to tell us why Ms Piltz is confined to a motorized cart. Does she have a health problem which precludes her from walking? Is the inability to be active a partial cause of her weight problem? Or has she simply gotten large and now has a hard time getting around, thus she'd rather stay at home watching free tv?
I have true sympathy for people with health issues which confine them. I'd hope that good meaning people could work together (voluntarily) to help this woman get out of her home and out in the world. Surely that is better than giving her free tv so she stays at home and her problems worsen?
"Id go nuts if I didnt have it," Piltz said.
I just couldn't read the entire article. Has she ever heard of the library? The books are free and she might learn something and expand her mind!
With what? A Segway?
I do hope you are kidding! Anyway, pregnant with what? She's too old to be pregnant.
I worked with a woman for four years who has a similar build. During that time, she had two pregnancies. No one could visibly tell she was pregnant either time. The only proof that she was pregnant, was when she brought her babies to the office to meet her co-workers.
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