WCCA TV 13, on behalf of EPG channels everywhere, expresses gratitude to the members of Worcester City Council for passing a resolution in support of the Community Access Preservation Act (CAP Act).

The resolution was co-sponsored by Mayor Joseph O’Brien and City Councilor Barbara Haller.

The resolution was adopted unanimously, after I spoke before the council last night, March 8, 2011, and explained, in brief, detail about the dangerous impact state issued franchise licenses have had upon PEG channels and what the CAP Act will accomplish.

The resolution illustrates to our Federal and State Legislators that the City of Worcester stands with the Public Access [PEG] Community and other community media organizations in support of changes to the Telecommunication Act to protect and guarantee assurances for the advancement of PEG.

We thank the City of Worcester for recognizing the importance and value of PEG community access and also thank the many WCCA TV members who petitioned on behalf of localism and PEG community media access everywhere.

– Mauro DePasquale, Executive Director
WCCA TV, “The People’s Channel”
Worcester

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STAND FOR CHILDREN TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF HEALTH BENEFIT REFORM

Framingham Teacher Speaks Out in Support of Health Benefit Reform

BOSTON: Stand for Children testified in support of Municipal Health Benefit Reform to the Joint Committee on Public Service at the State House today. As skyrocketing health care costs continue to strain municipal budgets, Stand for Children is advocating for provisions that will ameliorate the financial burden on cities and towns and ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are being invested where they can make the most difference – in the classroom.

Stand for Children’s recommendations will allow cities and towns to direct at least $136 to $151 million towards saving educators’ jobs and protecting valuable community services across the Commonwealth. Included are provisions implementing good-faith bargaining measures to negotiate health care design, moving eligible municipal employees into Medicare, and transitioning to a system of global payment. These provisions would significantly lower health care costs in municipal budgets while still providing excellent benefits to municipal workers.

“Mitigating the skyrocketing cost of insuring municipal employees is an urgent issue that directly affects teachers’ jobs,” stated Jason Williams, Executive Director of Stand for Children. “Stand for Children supports this common-sense solution and legislators need to act now to help keep teachers in the classroom because our kids can’t afford to wait.”

“As a teacher in Framingham Public Schools, I believe Stand for Children’s recommendations are amenable to both parents and teachers,” stated Rosangela Caixa, a Stand for Children member and first grade teacher at the Potter Road School. “We need to pass health benefit reform now to help protect the jobs of teachers across the Commonwealth and to ensure that education is a viable career choice for the next generation of teachers.”

“Stand for Children’s recommendations will allow a greater proportion of education funding to support teachers and the important work they do in the classroom,” stated Jim Stockless, a Stand for Children member in Framingham. “Cities and towns are spending too much money on skyrocketing health insurance costs and we need to start spending this money on protecting teachers’ jobs and investing in our children.”

“Stand for Children’s recommendations reflect a vested interest in collective bargaining and provide both management and labor with a voice at the negotiating table,” stated Juli Brazile, a Stand for Children member in Arlington. “We need to retain teachers’ jobs and critical school services, but this will be impossible if we don’t address the soaring cost of health care now.”