From the Mtn Express Letters to Editor:"On Tuesday, Dec. 13, WLOS-TV 13 broadcast a news report on the Asheville City Council's 6-1 vote approving the placement of wireless Internet antennas on a city-owned tower by the nonprofit Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN).
The report quoted only one source, City Council member Carl Mumpower, who objected to the Council's vote because, he claimed, MAIN is a political organization with a liberal and progressive political agenda. He said public property should not be made available to a political organization, especially at a discounted rate.
The news story also stated that the monthly tower rent is $200. The overall impression of the WLOS news story was that the City Council had made a special concession to a local political organization. The news story was incomplete and thus misleading.
First, MAIN is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization in full compliance with all federal, state and local nonprofit regulations. Tax-exempt nonprofits are prohibited by law from endorsing candidates for political office.
However, nonprofits are not prohibited from engaging in political speech, as the nonprofit media empires of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell amply demonstrate.
Second, the city of Asheville has an established tower rental rate for nonprofit organizations. The city created that rate last spring for another local nonprofit. Third, that nonprofit rate is $200 a month per attachment. MAIN will be placing three attachments on the city's tower, putting our monthly rent at $600, not the $200 quoted in the WLOS story.
Fortunately, the city of Asheville does not apply a political litmus test to determine who qualifies to rent space on city property. Its commercial and nonprofit rates are available on a nondiscriminatory basis.
While Councilman Mumpower is entitled to his view that the city should have a litmus test for tenants on its tower, viewers of WLOS are entitled to more than one viewpoint on questions of public policy."
-Wally Bowen, Executive Director
Mountain Area Information Network
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I thought this was worthy of further exposure! Gotta love the Mtn Xpress!
4 comments:
Is that Screwy behind that mask?
LYLAS -- the all-female sketch comedy troupe -- has adapted "From a Distance" for Mumpower in its new show, which is running as part of 35below's Late Night Comedy series this weekend. "Carl is watching us, Carl is watching us, Carl is watching us...from a distance." Pretty darn funny.
Screwy who?
That's a brave soldier in the Army of Mumpower.
Councilman Mumpower has been engaged in a week long dialogue with themountainblog.blogspot.com
concerning the issue of full disclosure of the dangers of building in WNC's landslide designated areas and the lack of insurance to cover any damage caused by earth movement of any kind. His thoughts are...well...
interesting if not a bit screwy.
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