nekote
join:2000-12-16
Hopkinton, MA
| Franchise - hidden (real estate) tax; Astroturf
IMHO, one of the primary purposes these days of the "Franchise" agreements is for a municipality to obtain a hidden stream of benefits, via the cable bill, rather than the up front (real estate) tax bill.
Hey, you want a local studio and $100,000/yr to staff and operate it?
Well, just tack that on to the consumer's cable bill.
That way, it isn't really a municipal expense, right?
Astroturf - cool euphemism for artificial "grass roots".
Sadly, "Astroturf" advocacy groups are a common and very long standing method of obfuscating / advocating on issues.
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Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all other forms of government. - Winston Churchill |
