$50 Dish Grounding Inspection Fee passed by Omaha, Ne

[Tyralak]

Dudes just pay up, who do you think you are, no one is above the law.

Being sarcastic, I hope. If not, you ought to realize that what Omaha is doing clearly violates OTARD. Federal law is supreme in the U.S.

 

[Derwin0]

"Also approved by the council was a new $50 fee for the city to inspect existing and new satellite TVs, which would raise about $2 million."

This is the kicker that makes it violate OTARD. The fee is not being used to cover the cost of inspection, but instead to raise revenue. By being that purpose, it is considered an "unreasonable expense". Also, by being levied against only satellite and not OTA or Cable, it shows that it is targeting one type of business, and will get it tossed, the same as previous "satellite only" taxes have been.

 

[jericko]

As a person who LIVES in Omaha, NE, this make me sick. Our City council screwed us, and took care of Cox Communication of the flip side. I can see the local Cox commercials now: "We may suck compared to Dish, but we do not have a $50 inspection fee!" I emailed all 4 city council men last night about how upset I was, but they don't care.

 

[jericko]

No Dish Tax

 

[dishcomm]

Is that really even legal? What's next? Got to charge a fee to inspect your house's electric, plumbing, construction and everything else as well? Where does it stop?

Hey, governments are looking for unconventional ways to stir up revenue.
In NC , our illustrious State government found a way to "tax tax"
Yes,...All wage earners who make over $60k and couples who earn over $100k per year will pay a tax on their tax.
It works like this..The tax paid by these individuals/couple will be assesed a 3% surcharge on the amount paid in income tax.
In other words the State is taxing tax..
You ask, where does it end..The answer is , it doesn't.
NC is the Massachusettes of the South. We currently have the highest state income tax in the south,. The 5th highest gas tax in the nation(30.2 cents per gallon, the 6th highest state income ta8.25%) and now one the highest state sales tax (7.75% plus a one percent add on for prepared food) in the nation..And our idiot governor keeps telling us there is no money for anything.
Needless to say I am looking just 10 miles south into moving to the relative tax haven of South Carolina.,

 

[Nebugeater]

From the Omaha World Heard today.
Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Satellite dish revenue unclear

Along with the text since they seem to change their links more often than most

Satellite TV dishes might not be high on Omahans' lists of safety hazards.

But under the City Council's budget, dish owners would pay a $50 fee every three years, and the city would inspect to see that the dishes are wired and secured properly.

City Councilman Chris Jerram persuaded colleagues to include the fee in the 2010 budget. If the measure remains, the council would need to pass an ordinance to set up rules and to start collecting the money. A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15.

Jerram estimated that the fee would generate $2 million next year, based on an assumption that about 40,800 satellite dishes are in Omaha and in subdivisions and unincorporated areas on the city's outskirts — which would be covered by the fee.

Jerram said he made the estimate after talking to local cable companies, which track market penetration by the competition and “probably have pretty good information.”

Nielsen Media Research, which tracks TV habits, estimated that 78,000 homes in Omaha and surrounding communities have satellite TV service, or 19 percent of all houses with TV service in the area. That estimate, however, includes several other counties, including some in Iowa and one in Missouri, the company said.

Assuming the market percentage was the same in just Omaha and Douglas County, about 32,000 houses and apartment complexes would receive satellite service.

Jerram, whose calculations were questioned during Tuesday's council meeting, acknowledged that it was hard to be exact about the number of customers

Mayor Jim Suttle's staff is reviewing the satellite dish inspection fee to determine whether the figures are realistic.

Under Jerram's plan, owners of new or existing satellite dishes would pay a $50 registration fee every three years.

The city would spend $113,000 to hire two inspectors. The dishes would have to meet electrical and structural safety standards and wind-resistance rules.

Jerram noted that the city oversees a range of electrical, plumbing and other work and said satellite dish installation should be no different.

“I'm sure there are good installers of these and bad ones, but we can't roll the dice on public safety,” he said Wednesday.

DirecTV customer Amy Line sees the fee as simply a way for the city to collect more money.

“I don't find any safety issues, any more than I do with cable TV,” she said. “I've never even thought of that.”

She said her first reaction was, “‘How in the world did they come up with that?' It seemed very random and not well thought out.”

Jerram said that when he was campaigning this year, a few people said they didn't like how some rooftops are cluttered with the dishes. Jerram said he began taking more notice of the dishes during his exercise runs and discovered that they have electricity running to them. That got him thinking about safety, he said.

Research by the City Attorney's Office found that some cities in other states have passed similar inspection rules in recent years. Federal law prohibits taxing satellite customers, but charging a fee for inspections is allowed, Assistant City Attorney Tom Mumgaard said.

A DirecTV spokesman said the fee is counter to federal law, “anti-consumer and anti-competitive.”

“We will work swiftly and cooperatively with the City of Omaha to correct it,” said spokesman Robert Mercer.

Critics of the fee will have their chance to comment at the public hearing, Jerram said.

“There's one thing I've learned in my short time on the council,” he said. “Everybody's got an opinion.”

Contact the writer: 444-1149, tom.shaw@owh.com

Anyone know what these other cities are???

 

[dishcomm]

How about all those people that do not know about this law that could get fined? Do owners have to tell the city that they have a satellite dish just like how you have to tell them about property that you own or will they come around and determine this themselves? Are they going to make this public notice to give owners a chance to find out about it? I hope those clowns get voted out of office next time. Maybe a campaign needs to be done against those that voted this in.

Oh I can just see it now..Hypothetically...I am a resident of Omaha. I have a satellite dish. An inspector uninvited and IMO tresspassing on MY property goes through a gated fence to have alook for the incriminating sat dish. I see the inspector..
I let him/her know that my two dogs DO NOT care for strangers. And they have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW...."You have 15 seconds to take a hike."
"You want to enter my property, get a court order".

 

[dishcomm]

Dudes just pay up, who do you think you are, no one is above the law.

Shut up....You pay....

 

[dishcomm]

lets see cox pays fees to the city and Dish/Direct tv doesn't they don't even need to be regulated by Omaha they already have it easier than cox. pay the $50

Bullsh!t... Cable companies are charged a fee which thye in turn pass along to their subscribers.
This is the idiotic argument brough by the cable lobby to justify "satellite taxes" in certian states.
The cable people whined that while they had to pay municipal franchise agreement fees, satellite customers nor satcos paid no such fee.
Again the fees charged to the cable cos are passed along to the end user...
Nice try. Doesn't wash.

 

[Voyager6]

Jerram said he began taking more notice of the dishes during his exercise runs and discovered that they have electricity running to them. That got him thinking about safety, he said.

OMG, there is maybe 24 volts dc of electricity running to the lnb on that dish. Huge safety issue here compared to the 200 volts AC entering the houses. Why not an inspection fee for electric service to all the homes in Omaha? (I know, don't give politicians any ideas.)

Research by the City Attorney's Office found that some cities in other states have passed similar inspection rules in recent years. Federal law prohibits taxing satellite customers, but charging a fee for inspections is allowed, Assistant City Attorney Tom Mumgaard said.

Notice that there are no examples provided of the "other cities" with a similar inspection fee.

 

[Will94]

An earlier poster mentioned that DirecTV and Dish will litigate Omaha at a cost of more than the $2 million that they are trying to raise. I think that the DBS providers are the people to contact.

 

[TheForce]

This is not about the safety of grounding, it is about raising revenue for a city budget that is bloated with special interest spending.

What needs to be done is investigate exactly what is causing the budget crises. For example, here in Jacksonville, FL, we also are having a fiscal shortfall too. The reason is quite obvious since the entire costs are published in the paper. Here, our government employees, the largest in numbers are the City police force and second firemen have a salary and retirement and medical benefits that is entirely out of line with independent industry. School Teachers salaries but not retirement are in line with industry, I might add and consequently are considered underpaid as compared with firemen and policemen but overpaid when compared to private schools. But back to the reason for the budget problems. Retirement benefits are eating up this community much faster than anything else in their spending. BUT, it is entirely politically disastrous to do anything to touch that pension ( which BTW is equal to the retirees salary when he worked). Until these politicians stop the spending on unusual benefits for government employees we will continue to have problems like this.

I suspect that we also will get the inspection fees once another city passes it and I'd bet it will be done to exempt the phone company and Cable here as well, specifically targeting satellite dishes. We already have a satellite dish tax.

I am 100% against the inspection fees for satellite dishes. However, I am not against grounding of dishes. And I feel cities may inspect for violations of building codes and NEC as well but may not charge fees to inspect. Citations for violations is a better way.

Here is my compromise: Inspect like any other inspection of building code in a community, and charge what is now being charged. No special charge to do the inspection that is unreasonable and singles out dish owners, and then issue citations for violations. Only inspect new installations after a specified date.

 

[Stargazer]

An inspection EVERY THREE YEARS? What else do they require an inspection for every three years?

This is going to cost the residents a bit more than $50. You want to know why? Because when they say that it failed they will probably require it to be uninstalled immediately. Perhaps they will give you a fine if it was installed incorrectly even though you did not install the system. Then you have to pay to have it reinstalled.

Also, how many people have more than one satellite dish? Oh, that is $50 per dish?

So other cities already have such a fee imposed? I sure would like to know what other cities have this as it sounds like this is the first time anybody has ever heard of such a fee.

If the satellite companies end up having to pay this fee, then they are going to be even harder on their installers and there WILL be a higher churn rate or they will demand more money. This will also lead to higher costs for the consumer and more consumers dropping satellite for cable.

Dish Network and Directv should advertise this on the local stations in their area or put it on the program guide or something regarding what is going on and urge people to go to that meeting.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

If the national or local electrical code requires grounding then the grounding should be enforced. Besides, I find it amazing that few people ground their satellite or outside TV antenna. IMHO, they're asking for trouble if it isn't grounded - a few local former BUD owners had their sat receivers fried - I don't know if the surge came in on the power line or antenna lead though. However, I've never lost a sat receiver for any reason, let alone due to any surges.

 

[guapoharry]

Yes, inspecting every three years is cuckoo. What NFPA 70 (NEC) spec requires this? This only sounds like the goal for a recurring revenue source.

I see that the city coucil guy is motivated by objection to the appearance of dishes on people's homes.

And, what's the deal with "wind-resistance rules"? What's that all about?

Also, the cable TV companes get a pass on the ostensible premise of safety as an issue.

If the national or local electrical code requires grounding then the grounding should be enforced. ....

If so, it should be enforced in all cases. (cable installations and OTA antennas too...)

 

[DWS44]

Needless to say I am looking just 10 miles south into moving to the relative tax haven of South Carolina.,

Can't speak to all the tax differences, but if you drive a fairly new or expensive car(s), and are planning to move to York County, SC (not sure which part of SC you are 10 miles from )...you might want to check into the insane car tax we're saddled with. That alone might kill your savings.

 

[jericko]

So I emailed all 4 City Council members who voted for this, and just stated they should be ashamed for passing this, and I wanted to know why this did not apply to cable. I did not use any profanities. 2 have sent me very kind emails, but I want to post my response from Garry Gernandt:

"Spoken truly by a disgusting uninformed human, you should be ashamed of yourself."

That is the exact email he sent me, what a self serving low life. Here is his contact info:

Garry Gernandt

District 4

(402) 444-5522

Garry.Gernandt@ci.omaha.ne.us

 

[bhawley]

Can't speak to all the tax differences, but if you drive a fairly new or expensive car(s), and are planning to move to York County, SC (not sure which part of SC you are 10 miles from )...you might want to check into the insane car tax we're saddled with. That alone might kill your savings.

Not to mention the SC governor.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Yes, inspecting every three years is cuckoo. What NFPA 70 (NEC) spec requires this? This only sounds like the goal for a recurring revenue source.

I see that the city coucil guy is motivated by objection to the appearance of dishes on people's homes.

And, what's the deal with "wind-resistance rules"? What's that all about?

Also, the cable TV companes get a pass on the ostensible premise of safety as an issue.

If so, it should be enforced in all cases. (cable installations and OTA antennas too...)

Yes, I believe that's what I said about grounding.

As for wind resistance/loading, they want to make sure that your antenna is adequately attached to your house so that, short of a tornado, it won't be blown off the structure and land in someone's living room or car - which could, of course, injure or kill someone.

 

[smartys]

dish inspection

:rant::rant:I live in Omaha ne and have direct tv.So does anybody in omaha know where the sept 15 pow wow will be, cause Ill be there.I alsowill be contacting the mayors hot line