Dramatization of NJ Homeowner
Residents in New Jersey awoke this morning with news that Verizon does not want to pay its taxes to local municipalities. It is a sentiment that many homeowners can sympathize with as most residents have not seen their incomes increase over 30% in the last year. In a unilateral move, Verizon is assuming upon itself the interpretation of a law that limits their responsibility for municipal fees should their traditional landline use for telephones dip below a certain percentage.
Benefiting from the State wide franchise that was granted to Verizon and supported by The League of Municipalities, the company now appears emboldened enough to interpret state law. The state wide franchise allowed Verizon to run its FIOS service throughout the state without the need to negotiate with each municipality. The argument at the time that increased competition would help bring down the price of cable television, but that appears to have been a pipe dream.
When The Journal called Verizon with regards to their schedule for fulfilling obligations to local communities in terms of public access channel 77, they stated that it was not in their financial interest to do it. Their promises of being a leader in offering High Definition channels also seems to have fallen victim to the need to reach High Definition Profits. TvPredictions.com, a technology news source, offers a litany of Verizon promises that keep shifting.
Local towns are hoping that Verizon’s intention to cut off municipal fees will be another broken promise.