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. . . 'f/ RESOLUTION.NO. 3029 COUNTY OF RAMSEY STATE OF MINNESOTA RESOLUTION URGING SUPPORT FOR THE RESTORATION OF LOCAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEMS WHEREAS, the Cable Communications Acts of 1984 restricted states' and local governments' abilities to regulate the Cable Television Industry directly; and WHEREAS, since the passage of the Cable Communica- tions Act of 1984, concentrations of ownership amounting to monopolies have increased among cable television operations through that Act was intended to "promote competition in cable communications and minimize unnecessary regulations that impose undue economic burden on cable systems", and WHEREAS, municipalities throughout the nation, including this one have been subjected to substantial rate increases, ervice reductions, and programming changes that do not reflect consumers' needs or the original intentions of their franchise agreements; and WHEREAS, more than half of the nations' households and more than 40 percent of the residents of the City subscribe to cable, and television is increasingly becoming the main means of access to information and entertainment; and WHEREAS, cable subscribers in this City have been subjected to rate increases of over 40 percent over the past four years, as well as increases in the costs of remote control units, late fee charges, elimination of Senior Citizens rates, and installations; and WHEREAS, cable television is rapidly being priced beyond the reach of lower income people, including families with children, and the elderly who are particularly in need of information and other services that are available solely through cable television; and WHEREAS, the diversity of information services promised by the 1984 Cable Communications Act has failed to materialize; and WHEREAS, the promise of universal service similarly has not been fulfilled; and