(This letter was sent to Ms. Fishman, chair of the GN/NSCC and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

In reading your opening statement from the PATV website why do I get the sinking feeling that the cable commission seems more and more desperate to protect the interests of Public Access TV than the North Shore residents it is supposed to represent. If the cable commission was really interested in our needs it would be moving heaven and earth to get real competition to Cablevision than hiding behind "state regulations" whatever they may be.

It is no secret that Cablevision does not give good service, overcharges for everything they do and generally benefits from its monopoly status at the expense of its customers. In a few words Cablevision is awful. What ever pittances Cablevision throws to the cable commission or the Public Access channel is far outweighed by the lack of value we consumers get.

So how about acting in the public interest and work on removing obstacles to getting in real competition in the form of Verizon and let the free market decide who gets the consumers dollar.

John Frangos