Saturday, June 10, 2006
House Passes Bill to Gut Local Control of Cable Franchises
The House (recently) passed H.R. 5252, a bill to replace local control of cable franchises with a set of minimal requirements under a national franchise. Currently, each local franchising authority, typically a municipal government, is permitted to negotiate agreements with video service providers that are looking to introduce service into an area. The agreements include compensation to the locality for uses of its rights of way, funding for PEG (public, educational and governmental) programming, customer service dispute procedures and other terms.
"Without stronger anti-discrimination and build-out requirements in the bill, my constituents in the Bronx stand to benefit very little from a national video franchise," said Serrano, who opposed the bill. "Until such protections are in place, I cannot consider supporting legislation that would usurp local authorities' ability to police their public rights of way and gut funding streams for public interest programming."
Serrano also supported a "net neutrality" amendment that would have prevented network service providers from degrading or giving preference to internet traffic from any content provider or application.
source: The Serrano Report
The House (recently) passed H.R. 5252, a bill to replace local control of cable franchises with a set of minimal requirements under a national franchise. Currently, each local franchising authority, typically a municipal government, is permitted to negotiate agreements with video service providers that are looking to introduce service into an area. The agreements include compensation to the locality for uses of its rights of way, funding for PEG (public, educational and governmental) programming, customer service dispute procedures and other terms.
"Without stronger anti-discrimination and build-out requirements in the bill, my constituents in the Bronx stand to benefit very little from a national video franchise," said Serrano, who opposed the bill. "Until such protections are in place, I cannot consider supporting legislation that would usurp local authorities' ability to police their public rights of way and gut funding streams for public interest programming."
Serrano also supported a "net neutrality" amendment that would have prevented network service providers from degrading or giving preference to internet traffic from any content provider or application.
source: The Serrano Report
Friday, June 09, 2006
Update: Future of Public Access TV Threatened
HR 5252-COPE passes by a margin of 321-101
"Nearly all Republicans and a majority of the Democrats voted for the Resolution and the interests of their corporate patrons, the telephone companies. The net neutrality amendment was defeated and was excluded from this bill. The final resolution with the attached amendments is not just bad - it's ridiculously bad. We can only hope the Senate will act with greater integrity, truthfulness and foresight," reported www.saveaccess.org.
Check out the site to find our how YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL voted.
HR 5252-COPE passes by a margin of 321-101
"Nearly all Republicans and a majority of the Democrats voted for the Resolution and the interests of their corporate patrons, the telephone companies. The net neutrality amendment was defeated and was excluded from this bill. The final resolution with the attached amendments is not just bad - it's ridiculously bad. We can only hope the Senate will act with greater integrity, truthfulness and foresight," reported www.saveaccess.org.
Check out the site to find our how YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL voted.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
The Reading Life
Book Release “The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry”
Contact: Luis Cordero at LCordero@galeriacemi.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scheduled for publication in June 2006, The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry by Bobby González, is a book that challenges the reader to confront preconceived notions about the history and contemporary struggles of the Native Peoples of the Americas. The book is the first title issued by the recently formed publishing company www.CemiPress.com, which is a subsidiary of www.GaleriaCemi.com. Books can be ordered at www.cemipress.com.
Writing from the perspective of a modern Taino Indian, Mr. González takes on such varied themes as religious freedom (or lack thereof), cultural & physical genocide, violence against women, homophobia and the issue of racial/political identity.
“Dangerous memories.
Stolen histories.
Identity theft on a Cosmic scale.
Who/what determines
Who/what we are?
The Last Puerto Rican Indian,
with an abundance of love,
bites into a Cuban sandwich
on the corner of 145th Street and Brook Avenue.”
There are also verses that pay tribute to outstanding indigenous leaders such as Anacaona of Haiti, Guamá of Cuba, Cotubanamá from Quisqueya (the Dominican Republic), Sitting Bull of the Lakota and Osceola of the Seminole.
This unique volume contains many rare and intriguing graphic illustrations which document the lifeways, art and spirituality of Natives folk from the Amazon and the Caribbean. Most of these pictures are over one hundred years old and have not been viewed by most of the general public since the late 19th century.
An added bonus is a suggested Taino reading list which is a guide to both primary sources and current publications.
"The Last Puerto Rican Indian is beautifully written with a multiplicity of voices that capture both profound sadness and passionate defiance. Rich with spiritual meaning, Bobby Gonzalez brings us closer to the indigenous men, women and children of the Americas as he harmonizes between the past and the present, traveling great distances in time from before the conquest, through mass genocide and the resistance, to the contemporary and beyond. Affirming the enduring strength of our heritage, González declares, 'The Last Puerto Rican Indian has not yet been born.'"
- Iris Morales, community activist/former Minister of Information, the Young Lords Party
Visit Bobby González' website at www.BobbyGonzalez.com
Book Release “The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry”
Contact: Luis Cordero at LCordero@galeriacemi.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scheduled for publication in June 2006, The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry by Bobby González, is a book that challenges the reader to confront preconceived notions about the history and contemporary struggles of the Native Peoples of the Americas. The book is the first title issued by the recently formed publishing company www.CemiPress.com, which is a subsidiary of www.GaleriaCemi.com. Books can be ordered at www.cemipress.com.
Writing from the perspective of a modern Taino Indian, Mr. González takes on such varied themes as religious freedom (or lack thereof), cultural & physical genocide, violence against women, homophobia and the issue of racial/political identity.
“Dangerous memories.
Stolen histories.
Identity theft on a Cosmic scale.
Who/what determines
Who/what we are?
The Last Puerto Rican Indian,
with an abundance of love,
bites into a Cuban sandwich
on the corner of 145th Street and Brook Avenue.”
There are also verses that pay tribute to outstanding indigenous leaders such as Anacaona of Haiti, Guamá of Cuba, Cotubanamá from Quisqueya (the Dominican Republic), Sitting Bull of the Lakota and Osceola of the Seminole.
This unique volume contains many rare and intriguing graphic illustrations which document the lifeways, art and spirituality of Natives folk from the Amazon and the Caribbean. Most of these pictures are over one hundred years old and have not been viewed by most of the general public since the late 19th century.
An added bonus is a suggested Taino reading list which is a guide to both primary sources and current publications.
"The Last Puerto Rican Indian is beautifully written with a multiplicity of voices that capture both profound sadness and passionate defiance. Rich with spiritual meaning, Bobby Gonzalez brings us closer to the indigenous men, women and children of the Americas as he harmonizes between the past and the present, traveling great distances in time from before the conquest, through mass genocide and the resistance, to the contemporary and beyond. Affirming the enduring strength of our heritage, González declares, 'The Last Puerto Rican Indian has not yet been born.'"
- Iris Morales, community activist/former Minister of Information, the Young Lords Party
Visit Bobby González' website at www.BobbyGonzalez.com
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Community calendar
Here is an invite I received today:
Please join us on tonight (Tuesday, June 6, 2006), from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at PR Dream, 161 East 106th Street, for a Community Dialogue and presentation of the "Remembering Julia" Mosaic project.
This project seeks to support the work initiated by Councilwomen Mark-Viverito and El Museo de Barrio towards the transformation of 106th as the Cultural Corridor renamed for Julia De Burgos. Light refreshments and munchies will be provided.
Here is an invite I received today:
Please join us on tonight (Tuesday, June 6, 2006), from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at PR Dream, 161 East 106th Street, for a Community Dialogue and presentation of the "Remembering Julia" Mosaic project.
This project seeks to support the work initiated by Councilwomen Mark-Viverito and El Museo de Barrio towards the transformation of 106th as the Cultural Corridor renamed for Julia De Burgos. Light refreshments and munchies will be provided.
Activism
source: Manhattan Neighborhood Network
SAVE ACCESS TV ACTION ALERT
THIS WEEK TELL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE "NO TO COPE!"
ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 7TH CONGRESS WILL VOTE ON "THE COPE ACT"—IF PASSED "COPE" WILL END PUBLIC ACCESS TV AS WE KNOW IT!
TAKE A MOMENT FROM YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE AND SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
GO TO: http://saveaccess.org/takeaction
TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY!
Even if you’ve reached out to your representatives already, we need you to contact them one more time and tell them to vote "NO" to the "Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006" (COPE Act/HR.5252). And encourage them instead to support legislation that guarantees local franchises and local control of Public Access TV.
Please raise your voice and tell your Congressional Representatives:
1) The COPE Act will weaken or end Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) TV! PEG TV is a cornerstone of local government, education, and our democracy. Any new legislation must guarantee current or increased levels of funding and channel capacity for Public Access TV .
2) The COPE Act will end local control and local oversight of PEG TV. PEG TV is America's local television service—local communities must be able to determine our own PEG TV needs!
3) The COPE Act does not include "build-out" requirements—it would allow phone companies to 'redline' low income, rural and minority communities. All communities must have equal access to video, data, and voice services!
4) Also, remind them the New York City Council unanimously passed Resolution (Res. 0136-2006) on May 10th, opposing the COPE Act or any similar legislation. The COPE bill could take away the $80 million New York City currently receives in local video franchise fees each year —local franchises make Public Access TV possible.
Thanks for all your support! Please continue to check http://mnn.org/saveaccess for up to date local info—and http://saveaccess.org/ for updates on what's happening on this issue nationally.
source: Manhattan Neighborhood Network
SAVE ACCESS TV ACTION ALERT
THIS WEEK TELL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO VOTE "NO TO COPE!"
ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 7TH CONGRESS WILL VOTE ON "THE COPE ACT"—IF PASSED "COPE" WILL END PUBLIC ACCESS TV AS WE KNOW IT!
TAKE A MOMENT FROM YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE AND SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
GO TO: http://saveaccess.org/takeaction
TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY!
Even if you’ve reached out to your representatives already, we need you to contact them one more time and tell them to vote "NO" to the "Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006" (COPE Act/HR.5252). And encourage them instead to support legislation that guarantees local franchises and local control of Public Access TV.
Please raise your voice and tell your Congressional Representatives:
1) The COPE Act will weaken or end Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) TV! PEG TV is a cornerstone of local government, education, and our democracy. Any new legislation must guarantee current or increased levels of funding and channel capacity for Public Access TV .
2) The COPE Act will end local control and local oversight of PEG TV. PEG TV is America's local television service—local communities must be able to determine our own PEG TV needs!
3) The COPE Act does not include "build-out" requirements—it would allow phone companies to 'redline' low income, rural and minority communities. All communities must have equal access to video, data, and voice services!
4) Also, remind them the New York City Council unanimously passed Resolution (Res. 0136-2006) on May 10th, opposing the COPE Act or any similar legislation. The COPE bill could take away the $80 million New York City currently receives in local video franchise fees each year —local franchises make Public Access TV possible.
Thanks for all your support! Please continue to check http://mnn.org/saveaccess for up to date local info—and http://saveaccess.org/ for updates on what's happening on this issue nationally.
Friday, June 02, 2006
IPA NY Voices That Must Be Heard "Statistics show Puerto Ricans have not given up on NYC," article originally published in Tiempo New York, May 19
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Boricua
By Samaris Ayala
Boricua
Born on the island and came here
Puerto Rican those living on the island
Neyorican those born here of PUerto Rican Descent
Me and my sisters had a rough time in LOs Sures.
Sorry about stereotypes.
c 2006 Samaris Ayala
Samaris Ayala is a New York City-based writer. She contributes her poetry to Puerto Rico Sun. You may reach Samaris at sallypatches@yahoo.com.
By Samaris Ayala
Boricua
Born on the island and came here
Puerto Rican those living on the island
Neyorican those born here of PUerto Rican Descent
Me and my sisters had a rough time in LOs Sures.
Sorry about stereotypes.
c 2006 Samaris Ayala
Samaris Ayala is a New York City-based writer. She contributes her poetry to Puerto Rico Sun. You may reach Samaris at sallypatches@yahoo.com.
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