Six Towns to Put Future Comcast Franchises on Hold

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin commissioner Rex Duncan told members of the city council Monday he has commitments from six or more mayors or village board presidents to sign a common resolution which puts future Comcast franchise agreements on hold until the cable company improves technology and programming in this market.

Duncan has championed subscriber concerns that Comcast has shown little initiative in providing subscribers with high definition service. There are also historic subscriber concerns that the company has intentionally moved popular programming like game shows to a higher tier to force subscribers to buy more expensive packages.

A former Comcast marketing spokesman--Mark Apple--who is no longer with Comcast, told the newspaper at the time the move had more to do with capturing bandwidth than it did with forced buys into higher tiers.

Since that time, a Comcast spokeswoman told the newspaper that Comcast is trying to figure out how to cost-effectively adapt an aging system to new technology.

Duncan conveyed to council members that Comcast hopes to bring high definition to at least some of its programming. Comcast told the Du Quoin Evening Call over the holidays that doing so we mean making a huge capital investment in the system. It is trying to navigate through that plan now.

In the meantime, Duncan says he has commitments from at least six mayors or village board presidents to put any future franchise renewals on hold until all of the issues are addressed. He has commitments from his own council and mayor, the cities of Pinckneyville, Benton and Christopher and the villages of Tamaroa and Buckner.

He referred to his talks with these towns as addressing the "diminishing service" provided by Comcast. Yet, his focus is Comcast corporate, not the local office or its employees, which he says do their job well.

He told Mayor Rednour, "John, I appreciate your signing off on this."

The council also:

Approved a roadblock application submitted by the Local Laborers #773 for May 21, 2011

Approved a roadblock application submitted by the American Legion Post 647 for May 13, 2011.

The council approved Ordinance 2011-O02-05: This ordinance amends Chapters 6 and 40 of the current code pertaining to zoning permit fees.

The council approved a mutual aid agreement between the City of Du Quoin ESDA and the Perry County ESDA.

Resident David Gates stepped to the podium during a section of the meeting set aside for public comment and asked the council about its hiring practices. "Can you explain your hiring practices?" he challenged the council. It was unspoken, but he was referring to the recent hiring of a new meter reader in the water department apparently without any interviews of the 67 applicants who applied for the job. There were odds and ends of responses from the council, but nothing that satisfied Gates.

Mayor John Rednour used the end of the meeting to address any public concerns about taxes and fiscal responsibility in the city, and to respond to criticism from opponent Guy Alongi about having to end the abatement of a large share of the city's real estate taxes.

"I personally believe that property taxes are the most unfair tax there is," he said, favoring instead the income tax and secondly sales taxes as fairer taxes.

Rednour said he paid $135,000 for his home several years ago and since then has paid over $200,000 in real estate taxes on that home. "The state either needs to raise the state income tax or deal with a sales tax," he said as a fairer solution.

Rednour said that since 1990 when he became mayor real estate taxes in the city have actually fallen 20 percent and "only St. Johns has a cheaper rate than the City of Du Quoin and I want to commend (St. Johns) Mayor Stanhouse on that," he said. "Pinckneyville is two times what we are and our water and sewer rates are about half what Pinckneyville's are."

Said Rednour, "This is a town that has never had to borrow money to pay its bills. We have a financial plan and money in the bank," he said.

Rednour said he plans to serve a full term if re-elected and another term beyond that if his health holds up.

"I like being mayor," Rednour said. "In 22 years, the buck stops here."

He addressed opponent Guy Alongi's plan to establish financial and youth advisory boards. "Most advisory boards are scapegoats," said Rednour.

"And, if you tell people you are not going to raise taxes you are lying," he said.

He said, "We will continue to support the fair" and said he will resist any plan to invoke a ticket tax on entertainment events.

With respect to openness, Rednour said, "Everybody knows my office door is open five days a week at the bank."

Opponent Guy Alongi responded this morning, saying, "I heard a portion of the city council meeting and I think it was very unprofessional for the mayor to use a council meeting as a public forum for his campaign. He had the opportunity to have a public forum."

The meeting ended on a more positive note with commissioner Rex Duncan saying, "Everyone expects us to advance the town. If you haven't read the new Progress Report you need to get a copy," he said, holding up a copy to show the audience what it looks like. He was referring to the annual report created by the staff of the Du Quoin Evening Call. "It is responsible progress," he said. "Good things are happening here."