Tucson: "IMMENANT THREAT" To ACCESS TUCSON This Tuesday!

"IMMENANT THREAT" To ACCESS TUCSON This Tuesday!

 

Written by AccessTucson.org   

Mar 22, 2009 at 12:41 AM

 

IMMENANT THREAT - Tucson Mayor and City Council may cut or eliminate all funding for Access Tucson TUESDAY!! Don’t let them take the community’s voice away!! FACTS: The economy is tanking, yet cable fees paid by Cox subscribers to the City of Tucson are not declining. These fees amount to $5,250,000 a year. They are not taxes although the City treats them as general fund income. Access Tucson funding from the City of Tucson went from $1,077,690 in 2008 to $897,921 in 2009. That was a funding decrease of 17%. As a result every budget category has been cut, staff has been laid off and all remaining staff will be sent home without pay for the month of June. Just to get through June! Access Tucson proposed to the City that significant money could be saved by co-locating their own government channel (Tucson 12) with Access Tucson to save on rent, equipment and some functions. At this point there are no signs that this is under consideration by the City. Future funding for Access Tucson is likely to be cut or eliminated for the fiscal year starting July 1st. The City Manager has asked the Mayor and City Council to cut the budget group Access Tucson is in (called "outside agencies") by $4,000,000 or about 28%. An additional 28% cut to Access Tucson would mean the elimination of many more staff and a dramatic reduction of services. A larger cut might mean that Access Tucson would no longer be able to provide its services to the community at all. You can help! Your voice does count! Please let the City Council know why you believe Access Tucson is worth saving. Please do it now. Click here RIGHT NOW to send an email to the Mayor and city council. TELL THEM why Access Tucson is important to you, your group and to the community. ASK THEM to continue using the fees that Cox subscribers pay to the City to support Access Tucson. Click to email: mailto: mcweb@tucsonaz.gov or if you wish to email or speak to your Councilmember personally, you can find their contact information here: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/mcc.html Please do it now!! It is easy and it WILL make a difference. Sincerely, J. Lisa Jones Chair, Access Tucson Board Sam Behrend Executive Director

 

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