A clear picture
Re: "Tangled up in cable" (May 6), congratulations to Sandra Svoboda and Metro Times for explaining why my local (Birmingham) cable service is so expensive and poorly delivered. I was especially interested in the discussion of the issues surrounding PEG channels, especially the placement of these community channels. In return for the privilege of using the public airwaves and easements, the cable companies should be required to make these channels available with their basic, nonpremium packages, and they should be required to place these channels adjacent to each other and next to the most popular local channels. The same should apply to C-SPAN channels 1, 2 and 3. In my community, these channels are not part of the basic package, and they are located at 96, 104 and 105 on the dial, far away from easy channel-surfing access. When I raised the issue of access to C-SPAN as part of the basic package, it became clear that our local community cable commission had zero ability to influence Comcast on this issue. And when our contract expires, influencing the provider will be even more difficult.
Thanks again for Svoboda's excellent article. I hope Metro Times continues to pursue this issue. —Ralph Deeds, Birmingham
Evil thoughts
I am writing this letter to address the "Used pol for sale" (April 15) column by Jack Lessenberry. His thinking about the nature of evil, I'm sure, comes easy, since evil people think evil things; it's their nature. His savage and distorted account of what politicians do may well be seen as a reflection of his evil pen. Demonizing not just politicians but legitimate business people with his vile, evil thinking, it's a disgrace to your so-called objective writings. His contempt for those elected (from Detroit at least), especially our congresswoman, comes out in every word of his evil writings, but, as he says, that's how he thinks.
As Rep. Pelosi pointed out, "Congresswoman Kilpatrick has been a leader, thinking in a visionary way into the future." She has been elected seven times by the people of this state who, too, recognize that we must move forward and support those that best represents us, despite the evil doomsday bigot called Lessenberry, for as they say, "Evil is as evil does." —Paul Holmes, Detroit
'Uncle' Sam
The following sentence from Curt Guyette's update on freelance reporter Diane Bukowski's uphill legal battle ("Why Di?" May 6) is a fitting caption for this country's jurisprudence system:"The Prosecutor's Office twice offered to reduce the charges to misdemeanors if she pleaded guilty, but she refused." In other words, she wouldn't cry "Uncle!" and that ticks off the powers that be.
America's hifalutin ideals notwithstanding, all governments are despotic in nature, the only difference being the degree to which the tyranny is finessed. —Todd Steven Kindred, Livonia
Errata: In our story about the members of Child Bite ("Weirdo beardos," May 6), we incorrectly identified the band member in the photo. The caption should have identified him as Zach Norton.
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