Smashing Down The Door

16 November 2009 @ 02:17 pm

Disney's "Marketing Decision" Already Being Regretted

Hello Everyone:

I decided to do a little follow-up work on the "Up" clusterflop since hearing about the lack of captions being available on rental versions versus retail versions.

I first called the studio number that I was able to obtain thru WhitePages for the Burbank offices (818-553-5000), and the woman who answered, when I explained why I was calling, said "All the movies are captioned". When I explained that, no, this one wasn't available with captioning on the rental version (I verified it myself), she proceeded to say "Well, don't you have to have some kinda special device to enable captions? You sure you checked to make sure how to turn them on?" After a couple of minutes of back and forth like this, she then proceeds to transfer me to 1-888-257-9100 for the "movie people" (go figure, thought I was talking to them already). Someone answered at that number, and I went through my explanation again. The lady was very nice and apologetic as she explained she needed to "check up on the details of that first".

After a couple minutes, she then gets back on the line with me and proceeds to tell me that the decision to not offer captions or subtitles on the rental version was a "marketing decision" because subtitles and captions are considered "special features", but if I wanted to enjoy captions, I could buy a retail version. I explained that I thought it was a stupid marketing decision because it basically forces the deaf or hard of hearing or anyone else who wants captions to spend 20 bucks on a movie that anyone else can rent for a dollar at Redbox, and it was profiteering off the backs of those who have a hearing loss. I then asked what number I needed to call to log a complaint, and the woman tells me that she understood my situation, that she "has someone in her home too who would like to see captions" and that she doesn't agree with the decision either. She then says she will transfer me to her supervisor so I can do so. After a couple minutes, she gets back on the line and gives me yet another number to call to lodge my complaint, apparently the supervisor wanted no part of the conversation.

So off I go on another phone call. This one to the marketing people at 1-800-723-4763. I explained yet again why I was calling to complain. The person said "Yes, it was a marketing decision, but we are now reviewing that decision. May I have your email address and name please, so we can contact you after the review?"

So the voices are WORKING! Call this last number I listed, and let them know you are unhappy being treated differently by being forced to buy a retail version just so you can enjoy a captioned movie in your own home! Be prepared to give your name and an email address for them to contact you back at. The more people they hear from, the more likely we will be to effect true change!

Pass this number along, again, it is 1-800-723-4763. Call, have your friends call, family, whatever. Tell them their "marketing decision" was a profound FLOP, and that you want your captions.

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15 November 2009 @ 06:16 am

DVD Captioning and the MPAA's Lying, Cheating, Big-Brother Hearts?

Hey Folks:

Hope all is well with everyone...While catching up on some reading on DeafRead, I came across Jamie Berke's blog about a person who tweeted that the rental version (bare-bones) of the Pixar/Disney movie "Up" is not captioned. I found this very interesting, because I remember reading about a settlement regarding movie captioning, and ALWAYS, one of the arguments I hear from people about movie captioning is that "Well you can rent the DVD, why force theaters to buy all that expensive captioning equipment?".

Purely for the informational value, I am posting the link here for people who want to read about an analysis of a settlement reached against Disney/Buena Vista and other movie producers, thanks go out to the person who did this very extensive study of the analysis and what it (the settlement) entails. They obviously put a lot of hard work into it:

</span>http://blog.fawny.org/2006/06/02/dvdcc/

Please keep in mind, that this settlement pertains ONLY TO BONUS MATERIALS on DVD's. Amazing...All that work, and the legal language applies only to the bonus material! As the writer of the blog I supplied the link to above says,

"But in fact, the settlement represents another round of chicanery on the part of lavishly rich entertainment conglomerates to ensure that 100% captioning shall never be reached."

The MPAA, as a lobby, generaly has a track record of trying to defend their business interests very strongly. Nothing wrong with this, it's their living on the line. But often, they get far too heavy handed, as evidenced by their renewed efforts to control a feature of YOUR PERSONAL TELEVISION VIEWING AT HOME called Selectable Output Control (SOC). What is this and why do they want control over it? Good question, I asked the same thing, and here is the abbreviated answer:

"SOC allows a cable or satellite programming distributor to shut off analog or digital output on selected broadcasts, an option that MPAA wants to have if it begins to distribute early-run movies on cable. The studios want to be able to close down the analog route and offer only digital content, which they see as the most secure."

The MPAA views SOC (the part of your TV where you plug in your DVR/DVD player/recorder, etc. into the red, yellow, and white ports) as the least secure way to transmit a movie when compared to all digital transmission of movies. And they want to ensure that they block a movie from being shown on your TV if you don't have digital only TV. That's right....if you have a cable package, and have a SOC based TV instead of an all digital capable TV, even though you pay for the cable package, you would NOT be able to watch a movie they provide if they (MPAA) have control over the SOC. They have petitioned the FCC for this ban to be lifted so they can protect their works from piracy, allegedly.

I say "allegedly" because, according to Gary Shapiro in his article on Huffington Post, the MPAA even admits that they can't prove this form of piracy, and that most piracy happens differently than what they are trying to prevent with this petition to the FCC. The article from Shapiro is very informative, and can be found here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-shapiro/dear-fcc-please-dont-let_b_355191.html

So, dear readers, which is it? Is the MPAA simply over-reaching and trying to turn into an Orwellian "big brother" type organization unneccessarily, or is this a legitimate avenue they need to take to protect their movie interests? Based on what I've read so far, it seems they are over-reaching, in a BIG way, with this petition to the FCC.

From their headlong rush into the digital conversion in theaters without ensuring that a standard captioning format is in place ahead of time, to the renewed petition to the FCC for SOC control, this multi-billion dollar industry seems to be trying to do their very best to prove what a consumer-unfriendly business model they really have. Please understand, as a professional in the security field, I completely empathize with their efforts to protect their works. If companies didn't take SOME measures to protect their assets, they would go broke. But this one seems over the top, because any good company will justify actions like this with good hard DATA, not projections that can't be quantified. And when you factor in that they do not yet have a standard in place for the transmission of captions via digital, one has to wonder if, even if you DO have an acceptable (digital output) capable TV, would you be able to watch the movies with captioning? At this point in time, it appears the answer to that is "No".

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06 November 2009 @ 01:19 am

Interpreted Live Theater Performance

Folks,

The hard-working deaf and hard of hearing community and their advocates in the Northern Kentucky area have done it again! They are bringing a wonderful Christmas classic to the area, and it will be ASL interpreted AND CART captioned!! This is a wonderful opportunity, and if you live in the vicinity, I urge you strongly to turn out and show your support for their hard work, and the wonderfully receptive people who put it together. Below is the information about the play, pay close attention to the only two dates that captions/interpreters will be provided:

Lionel Bart's OLIVER! The Musical

Music, Lyrics, and Book by

Lionel Bart
Directed by
Gina Kleesattel • Musical Direction by James R. Cassidy
Weekends December 11-27, 2009
Closed-Captioned and ASL-Interpreted Performances
Sunday, December 20 at 3:00pm
Sunday, December 27 at 3:00pm
Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more
$18 group price per ticket
To purchase tickets,
• $25 individual ticketsemail aubreyshermock@gmail.com or visit
www.thecarnegie.com
Accompany the young orphan Oliver as he contends with the streetwise
Artful Dodger, the illustrious Fagan, and all the dark corners of 19
th century London
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center
1028 Scott Boulevard
Covington, Kentucky 41011
Interpreting services are provided by the Department of Sign Language Interpreting and Deaf Studies at the University of Cincinnati

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30 October 2009 @ 07:24 pm

Kentucky Deaf Activism

Hello Folks:

I know I've been quiet for a while, but I had my personal reasons. Hopefully everyone is gearing up to have a happy and safe Halloween!

I'm writing this post tonight to talk about an issue that is near and dear to me, namely, the deaf and hard of hearing community advocating more vocally for themselves. Folks, it is time for you all to start taking the initiative to contact your elected officials about issues you care about. Send them emails to their legislative email addresses, write letters to the editors in your local papers, call their offices and let them know you care about issues and that you vote and your vote matters.

I've talked to several people over the course of the past couple of months, and was AMAZED at how little they knew about legislative issues affecting them. People who did not know about COAT advocating for more captioned access on the internet via HR 3101, about legislation being introduced to require Medicare and Medicaid to cover the costs of hearing aids, and so forth and so on. These are vital issues that require you to show you care, one way or the other (for or against), in order to receive the needed debate and input. If you don't speak up, you have no say. I'm always happy to help people find out how they can go about contacting their representatives at the local, state, and national levels, and will continue to do so if asked.

But my main concern is that you must EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THE ISSUES! AND THEN TELL THESE PEOPLE HOW YOU FEEL. Civics is a much neglected class in high school/junior high school, and needs to have more focus put on it. But for those who are already out, PLEASE take the time to get involved. Everytime I hear someone say "I don't like what happened", I ask them "Did you tell the right people your feelings about it? Did you call, email, etc. and let them know?" More often than not (FAR more often than not), the answer is "No". It's a waste of your status as a constituent not to tell them how you feel, after all, they work for ALL of us.

Good luck, and have a GREAT weekend!

Eddie

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23 August 2009 @ 03:15 pm

Movie Millions, but no love for the Deaf

For those of you who have followed my journey into trying to gain more access for the deaf and hard of hearing to the movie theaters, you will recall from earlier comments and postings, that one of the biggest concerns by the exhibition industry is the "enormous" costs of providing RWC or OC equipment. The implication has been that providing this type of access, even on a limited basis (say one screen per multiplex) would just be an economic doomsday for the theater industry...

I'd like to point some interesting information out here, from recent news reports:

"Regal Entertainment Group, the largest U.S. cinema operator, reported a second-quarter profit Thursday that missed analysts' expectations.

Shares of Regal, based in Knoxville, Tenn., fell 97 cents, or 7%, to $12.94. The shares have gained 27% this year.

Second-quarter profit of 26 cents a share missed the 31-cent average estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey. The company reported higher-than-expected theater operating costs and expenses for closing underperforming theaters, said Chris White, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles.

"This is something I don't think most people were factoring in," White said. "They said a higher percentage of their theaters became Imax or 3-D enabled. The rent associated with those screens is higher."

Profit rose 67% to $40.5 million from $24.3 million, or 16 cents a share, a year earlier, Regal said. Sales gained 17% to $789.2 million, beating the $779.9-million average analyst estimate as films including "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Up" lured more people to theaters."

Or how about this one.....

"NEW YORK - Cinemark Holdings on Friday posted a 20% increase in its second-quarter profit amid strong box office and concessions sale trends.

The Plano, Tx.-based movie exhibitor recorded a profit of $18.7 million, compared with $15.5 million, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 13% to $517.5 million.

Admissions revenue jumped 15%, while concessions revenue increased 12%.

"Our strong start to the year accelerated during the second quarter as we benefited from a solid slate of films and outperformed the overall domestic industry box office results," said Cinemark CEO Alan Stock. "In addition, our international attendance growth continues to outpace U.S. attendance growth."

It appears, that even in weak economic times, that movie theaters continue to earn significant profits. That is largely due to the fact that theaters, even with exorbitant popcorn prices (their profit margins largely come from concession stand sales), going to the movies is still a popular escapist form of entertainment. All the more reason to try and invest in technology that increases access for the deaf and hard of hearing to truly enjoy the movie-going experience.

One has to wonder at which point the theater industry will realize that dumping SOME of those profits back into R&D to speed up the transition to RWC or OC compatible equipment is a smart move? Glad handing, and passing the buck off to "we've got to wait for standards to be agreed upon" for the transmission of captioning in the digital format, is beginning to grow stale. Cinemark has already transitioned something like over 70% of it's 4000+ cinemas to digital, and you can bet your bottom dollar that once standards are developed, if they are not compatible with already existing digital systems, they will argue that they should not have to retrofit those to become caption ready.

So, to steal a line from someone I've talked with, how about this proposal: Why doesn't the theater industry agree to postpone transition to all digital format until caption-capable standards are agreed upon? After all, the "company line" I am hearing is that this should all be agreed upon by April of 2010. Surely, they can wait 8 more months, can't they? After all, the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as those who are deaf/blind, have been waiting something like 11 years for this magic potion called digital to open more doors for enjoying movies when they are released.

Also, lets take a look at why it takes so long for movies to go to DVD...Namely, it is because the theater industry, due to agreements with the film makers, pay large sums the first couple of weeks a film is in theaters, and their profit is less. But, the longer it is in theaters, the less they pay to the film makers, and the more their profit grows. So it behooves them to push for a longer "release window" (time between a movie being released to theaters and then going to DVD) so that they can earn greater profits. The theater industry needs to trend toward a lower "flat rate" payment agreement with the studios, since it has been shown in studies that DVD's are the true "cash cow" for the studios. As it stands now, the average release window before going to DVD is something like 4 months and 15 days, if I recall correctly. You can bet, that a push toward a shorter release window by the film makers will lead to a great hue and cry from the theater industry. So...Where do we stand, as deaf and hard of hearing consumers?

Right in the middle, that's where....Theaters don't want movies going to DVD earlier because it will cut into their profits. But neither do they want to attempt to grow a base of consumers by investing, TRULY INVESTING, in captioning access technology. The film makers, on the other hand, don't want their films to be "marred" or "altered" on artistic merits, with Open Captioning. It's a 1st Amendment thing, ya see..(sarcasm intended)...

Here's how that works...

Supposedly, even though they do caption something like 85% or more of their releases (and that's MPAA studios people, not ALL) in a "closed caption" format (think RWC), having the theaters have more accessible technology (RWC or whatever) would amount to an infringement upon their (studios) 1st amendment rights because it would "alter" the content of the movie. That's right...You aren't seeing things...It would somehow alter the content of the movie if they show the caption content that is already installed. If that isn't among the most illogical of arguments I've ever heard or seen, I must be going crazy. And the thing is, they actually convinced a judge in Arizona to agree with them! In a case titled "Arizona vs Harkins", which is currently on appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Washington State. Let's hope the 9th Circuit Court has more sense than the bone head judge in Arizona who was obviously more interested in legislating from the bench than dissecting the true issues of the case, and reverses the decision. It is helpful that the Department of Justice has filed an amicus curae (sp?) brief (friend of the court) on the side of Arizona.

And so it goes...Just a few thoughts from poring through research this weekend.....

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06 August 2009 @ 09:19 pm

Mental Health Issues for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Hey Folks:

For those readers of my blog who may be interested in this issue, I'm posting this for your information. It is imperative that ANY health issues be adequately addressed through the proper resources, so I am all too happy to help spread the word about this presentation being given. If you are in the area, I highly recommend you attending, as I know the presenter, and I am sure it will be an excellent presentation and very informative.

Eddie

Providing Effective Mental Health Treatment with an American Sign Language Interpreter!

September 16, 2009
4:30-7:30
Mental Health America of Northern KY
513 Madison Avenue, 3^{rd Floor}
Covington, KY

Attend this important workshop bringing together mental health clinicians and American Sign Language Interpreters! Learn about…

How a Therapeutic Session can be Positively or Negatively Affected
Creating a Therapeutic Alliance and Including the Interpreter as Part of the Team
Negotiating Communication and Cultural Differences
Addressing Dysfluency as it May Relate to Psychosis or Language Deprivation
Resources for Better Serving Consumers with Hearing Loss
Future Opportunities to Develop Expertise in This Area!

Through lecture, discussion, and role play, participants will be able to work through some of the more awkward or challenging aspects of providing services through an interpreter!

Presenter: Michelle Niehaus, LCSW
KY Statewide Coordinator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Dept for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities

To Register, Contact:
Mental Health America of Northern KY
(859) 431-1077 or mhanky@mhanky.org

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12 July 2009 @ 03:34 pm

New Wireless Distribution System in Kentucky

Folks:

THose hard-working and forward-thinking folks at the KCDHH (Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) have done it again....They are now in the process of adding new wireless devices to their TAP program, which allots assistive devices on a first come, first served basis to those who meet certain requirements and submit an application for the devices. For more information about this program, please check out their most recent newsletter at this link:

http://kcdhh.ky.gov/ois/newsletter.html

Simply select the June 2009 link once you are on the newsletter home page, and the information about the new devices is contained in an article written by Rowena Holloway, a Policy Analyst with the KCDHH. It's an exciting time to see my "Old Kentucky Home" jumping forward into the 21st century. I'm not sure just how many other states have made this venture, but I'm sure it is not many.

On another note, the PSC (Public Service Commission) here in Kentucky recently made some changes regarding the payments for Relay Services, and it is a WINNER all the way around. For those of you who have land-line phones, you often will notice a 9 cent surcharge on your bill. That surcharge is bill to all land-line users in the state, and it funds the Kentucky Relay Service, which enables the deaf and hard of hearing to make TDD calls. Over the past couple of years, land line usage has dropped dramatically, as more and more people move to wireless only telephonic access. This has led to a drop in the revenue funding the relay service here, as well as a drop in usage of the relay service, as more and more people are going to text messaging, videophones, and so forth. One thing people don't realize, is that that funding was also used to fund the distribution program for assistive devices.

Now, with the new change, the wireless customers in Kentucky are also going to be billed on their monthly bill, at the rate of (I believe) 4 cents a month, and the landline users will see a drop in the charge on their bill to an equivalent amount. So while wireless users may now pay 4 cents more a month (48 cents a year), landline users will see their bill drop from 9 cents to 4 cents a month. This will enable the program to continue to be funded, while also reducing the bill on landline users.

Lastly, on the last page of the newsletter, you will see this absolutely ridiculous picture of me speaking at the Eastern Kentucky Town Hall Forum. I was answering a question about a job expo that was coming to Pikeville at the time, and telling those people they need to get out and go to the expo, as there would be a lot of job openings there. I'm wearing the maroon shirt and on the left side of the page. I only wish I had know they were gonna take my picture, I would have TRIED to look a little less goofy. :-)

Eddie

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10 July 2009 @ 02:04 am

A Good Experience with Hospitals and Interpreters

Folks:

Too often, we take pause to write and bemoan the sad state of affairs as it pertains to hospitals and other medical providers being reluctant to provide interpreters for us deaf and HOH folks...Well, I'd like to share with you a POSITIVE experience that happened today.

My son had an appointment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. About 2 weeks prior to the appointment, my wife and I were contacted for pre-appointment questions by the medical staff there. During the course of the conversation, the question was asked about native languages in the home. My wife (proudly, I might add) told the woman that our hearing son is tri-lingual, English being his first language, and that he also is fairly fluent in Sign Language and Spanish and reads at a 5th grade level with the same verbal vocabulary (he is 8, folks). Naturally, that lead to follow up questions about his linguistic abilities, and they learned from my wife that I am deaf, hence his signing abilities.

With no prompting, no request from my wife at all, the nurse/administrator simply stated "Oh, that is fine. I will make a note and arrange for an interpreter to be present so your husband can follow the proceedings".

Now, I'm like all too many other deaf individuals, it is a constant struggle for me to get doctors to understand that an interpreter is a much more reliable way to communicate with me regarding medical issues than simply "Oh, we can communicate fine. That's what pen and paper are for". I realize that the ADA only requires an EFFECTIVE mode of communication, and that this normally is okay with me because I am a pretty smart guy (contrary to what some of my friends might tell you) and can understand the basic terminology as it pertains to my once in a blue moon medical issues, hence, it is EFFECTIVE in my case. However, I was feeling somewhat hesitant in this situation, because my son has been diagnosed with a mild form of petit mal-type epilepsy (Absence Seizures), and that is over my head, having never had any family history on either side to personally deal with. But those good folks in Cincinnati took that worry right out of my head!

Fast forward to two weeks later (today). We show up early as told, and just a couple of minutes later, the interpreters show up as well. Introductions were made all around, and after a few minutes of social conversation, we were called back. People, this lady (first name Tina is all I will say) was FANTASTIC. She made the entire proceeding quite enjoyable, and was professional and courteous. There was not a thing that I missed. She also had an observer for the day (Stacy) whom is also an employee (new, I gathered) at the same agency, and she was great as well. The whole experience left me feeling somewhat better about the small, but positive steps we are seeing in the acceptance of providing interpreters in medical settings. The doctors and nurses were great, spoke directly to me instead of the interpreters, etc. with no prompting. They obviously have their stuff together at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital and have a tremendously qualified and educated staff.

I'm not doing this because I benefit from it in any way, shape, or form. I'm doing it because it is the right thing to do, so please allow me to say this:

To the interpreter from the Northern Kentucky Services for the Deaf (I hope I got the name right) and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, I say "Thank You" for making today such a positive experience. I told my wife on the way home I would be sure to blog about this because it is far too seldom we hear good things about situations such as this. If you are ever in need of medical services for your deaf or hard of hearing child, or hearing child and you are deaf or hard of hearing yourself, I HIGHLY recommend this hospital if you are in the vicinity of it. They truly seem to grasp the importance of ensuring good communication between all affected parties.

Thanks,
Eddie

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21 June 2009 @ 12:15 pm

Happy Father's Day

I just want to take a minute to wish all of you dads out there a Happy Father's Day. And to leave you with a quote I hope you will take to heart, especially if you are a new father.

"It is much easier to become a father than to be one."
~Kent Nerburn, Letters to My Son: Reflections on Becoming a Man, 1994

Truer words have never been spoken.

Best,
Eddie

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12 June 2009 @ 05:31 am

Captions For The Deaf, or More Money For The Rich?

Folks:

As you all know, I've been fighting for more captioned movie access in Kentucky now for over a year. Along the way, I've pointed out the varying ways in which Hollywood has attempted to dip their hands further into the American public's till by lobbying for greater tax incentives. Well, a recently released statement by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has shown the pervasiveness of the Hollywood industry's reach.

Governor Beshear has called our state legislature back into a special session to address the almost $1 billion dollar shortfall, and proposed a plan that would boost economic tax incentives. Included in that, is the creation of a Kentucky Film Commission, and a plan that would allow movie or film production companies to recoup as much as 20% of "qualified expenditures" for coming to Kentucky and filming documentaries, movies, TV shows, and the like. One of the main arguments for proposing the increased incentives is that Kentucky currently ranks approximately 45th in the nation in incentives offered for filming, and that these low incentives are dragging us down. According to this quote from the Deputy Secretary of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet:

"Kentucky ranks 45th in the country in the incentives it provides to the film industry, just above

those state's that offer no incentives at all, Deputy Secretary David Lovelace with the Kentucky

Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet told the committee."

However, according to a recently released Motion Picture Association of America report detailing the MPAA's impact on the American economy, Kentucky actually ranks 31st (in 2007) in terms of wages paid by the motion picture and tv industry with $143,103,790.00! This puts us ahead of such luminaries as Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Alaska in terms of money spent by these industries to film in our state. So while it may be true that we are 45th in terms of incentives offered, we are actually 31st in terms of money gained from these industries. I see very little reason at this time to offer incentives that would allegedly catapult us from 45th in incentives offered to 15th, especially when the most recent movie shot here was about Jefferson Davis..Remember that one? Yeah, that is what I thought, I didn't see it either....Stop and think about that for a minute, they spent more money HERE, in little ol' Kentucky, than they did in HAWAII ($101,539,030.000). You can read the report by the MPAA here: http://www.mpaa.org/EconReportLo.pdf

Along the way, they (the MPAA) have spent approximately $55,000 lobbying over the past 12 months in Kentucky. While I think it is commendable that the Governor is attempting to find ways to bring more money to the state, given that our state is in such a precarious position due to imbalances in the tax system, among other things, I think we can ill afford to spend $60,000 per day on a special session to implement a 185 page economic incentive plan (he is also asking for expanded gambling) that has at least one portion (film industry tax breaks) that has been shown to be hit or miss in terms of the return on investment. Even the Legislative Research Commission has not been able to nail down exactly how much this would benefit the state (if it would at all). There IS a sunset provision in the plan that would enable the incentive to die after 5 years if it is not shown to be a positive effect to the bottom line, but one wonders if we can ill afford to take a gamble for 5 years when we are in such a precarious budgetary position?

According to the MPAA's report, they have the largest positive trade imbalance of any industry, bringing in tremendous sums of money from foreign distributions with a relatively low output in terms of costs associated with exporting their wares. I say, until the tv and film industry demonstrates more good faith in terms of working with their theater owner partners here in the US to be quicker in regards to providing more captioned products, we should be hesitant to offer them more public money. Money that can be better spent on providing quality services in the form of better education, etc.

Nice try, Governor...the effort is appreciated, but lets focus more on taking care of our citizens than doling out more tax breaks for an industry that saw an INCREASE in revenue in 2008.

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07 June 2009 @ 01:25 am

When is Mobile CapTel coming to the Blackberry?

Folks:

I am sure many of you are much more up to date than I on the advent of many captioning technologies. One I am particularly interested in, is the mobile CapTel by Hamilton Relay. Alas, this is currently only available on a couple of phones, none of which is the Blackberry...I currently have a Blackberry Curve, and am actually very happy with it and do not wish to change.

Since the release of the iPhone, and the subsequent announcement that mobile CapTel is available on it, I've been anxiously awaiting news that it would also work with the Blackberry. As an oral deaf person who travels quite extensively on a daily basis for my work, this would be a (seemingly) God-send for me, allowing me to communicate more easily with my headquarters, friends, family, and so forth.

I have downloaded the Sorenson version of SIPRelay, and while it is nice to have the capability to utilize the relay through my mobile device, it is not much different than using the TDD at home, truly. I am looking (personally) for the ease of use from the mobile CapTel that allows you to speak while reading responses would allow. Not because I'm not a "true" deafie, or that I'm an audist, or that I'm advocating for audism, or any such bull as that. This is something would would purely benefit ME personally, and others like me. For those of us who are oral deaf, the potential of a mobile CapTel in which we can basically utilize the standard VCO option from our mobile devices, I'm sure it can not come a moment too soon.

Do I have any readers out there who currently use the mobile CapTel function with an iPhone? If so, what are the pros? Cons? Have you found it beneficial? A hindrance or not worth the trouble? I'm sure there are many people who would enjoy feedback on this, so please fire awy with your comments and/or suggestions. Perhaps any Hamiltion Relay employees out there might be reading and can be of assistance in providing an anticipated ETA on the arrival of the capability to use this on other devices?

Thanks,
Eddie

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11 May 2009 @ 11:10 am

Helping the Deaf/HOH and other disabled in times of emergency

Folks:

I'm sure many of my readers can empathize with the lack of good communication during times of natural disaster, whether they are deaf or hearing. One of the biggest concerns for the deaf and hard of hearing is the lack of good, captioned weather information, accessible information on where to seek shelter, and so forth. Kentucky recently had a bill, HB 96, that would have helped a lot in terms of centralizing communications and helping plan/coordinate information sharing in times of emergencies/natural disasters in the most recent session. Unfortunately, it did not pass, and with the state of Kentucky being hammered with one natural disaster after another this year, that is not only shocking, but shameful as well.

I bring this up because, over this past weekend, many areas in Eastern Kentucky were hammered with flooding, a couple of beautiful communities in Central Kentucky was hit hard by an EF2 tornado, resulting in at least 2 lives lost, many areas of Kentucky were hit with wind and rain damage from the remnants of hurricanes this year, and so on. Clearly, the opportunity is NOW for this kind of planning and information sharing to become more centralized and accessible to people with all types of disabilities. More on this subject later, I want to take the opportunity to share with my readers, information received from Liz Hill, Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, for those folks in Eastern Kentucky who may have access to the internet and are looking for ways to get help in the below listed counties. I will try and update this as more information becomes available.

Flood Emergency Shelter Information

Breathitt County

It was at Jackson City School but now the shelter has moved to

1^st Church of God

1772 HWY 30 West

Jackson, KY

606-693-1918

Fire Department

606-666-9000

Pike County

Belfry High School

25259 Us 119
Belfry, KY 41514
(606) 237-3900

Pike Central High School

1901 US Highway 119 North

Pikeville, KY 41501

606-432-4352

Emergency Director:

Jim Caldwell

606-886-9678

Floyd County

Graceway Untied Methodist Church

8510 Route 80

Langley KY 41645

606-285-3136

Emergency Director

Pike County

Doug Tackett

606-437-4126

Robin Tackett

606-339-5911

I would also like to share with you all, a picture of the flooding that is emblematic of what was seen this weekend in Pike County, Ky.

The silver SUV you see in the picture is driving on what is normally US 119 at Belfry, Ky. This is well over 100 yards or more from the river. A lot of damage over there, so keep those families in your thoughts. Thanks to my cousin Lonetta for sharing this picture with me as well.

Thanks,
Eddie

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23 April 2009 @ 10:40 pm

Captioned Movie Success in Richmond, Kentucky!!!

Folks:

It is altogether too little that I get to post news of success, or read about news of success, in regards to our struggle to obtain captioned movies in Kentucky or elsewhere. Well, I have some good news! Thanks to the hard work of a bunch of advocates in Richmond, Ky. (home to Eastern Kentucky University, my good ol' alma mater!), the local Cinemark theater there has agreed to work with them and begin offering captioned movies on a trial basis. These movies are already Open Captioned, as apparently, the theater is not set up for offering RWC, nor does it have OC equipment. It is a start....A foot in the door....and these folks are to be commended for their hard work and persistence. Below is a copy of the announcement sent out about the offering:

Open-Captioned Movies at Cinemark

Due to the efforts of several groups on campus and the advocacy of individual students, staff and faculty, Cinemark has agreed to schedule open-captioned movies. Currently there is only one source to obtain open-captioned movies, so the choices will be limited. Cinemark will bring "Duplicity" (starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owens) and "Fast and Furious"(starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker) to the Richmond Mall Cinema 8. Mark your calendars, as each title will be made available to for a two-day showing only.

"Duplicity": Sunday-Monday, May 3-4
"Fast and Furious": Sunday-Monday, June 7-8

Campus groups working on this project include the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, ADA Awareness and Accessibility Committee, ASLIE, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, and Center for the Deaf.

While there may be naysayers out there who may bemoan the fact that the theater is not already equipped to show captioned movies anytime, I say this is fantastic as a first step, and I congratulate the groups on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University for their hard work in securing this for the deaf/hoh community in Richmond. The Kentucky School for the Deaf is a short drive away (approximately 30 minutes or so), and they have a rather large community of deaf/hoh in the Richmond area as a result of this, their Interpreter Training Program at EKU, and various other reasons.

I would be remiss if I did not also congratulate Cinemark theaters for recognizing the potential, at least, of this market, and agreeing to at least a trial basis. This is truly an example of a forward thinking theater, and I congratulate them on that fact....

Now, if they can just get other theaters across Kentucky to follow their "big picture" thinking and agree to offer this, we would REALLY be rolling!

But a word of caution...

This will NOT be successful if the deaf and hard of hearing community does not rally behind this and show up for the movies. Too often, in my conversations with theater executives, I have heard the same battle cry, "They say they want it, but they never turn out when we offer it!"...So, Kentucky residents who live close to Richmond, get out...go see a movie, and when you get a chance....

THANK THE EMPLOYEES THERE AND LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL KEEP COMING BACK

You have no excuse, you now know when the movies will be offered. No show times were included in this announcement, but do not let that deter you. Call. Email. Find a way to find out what times these will be offered. I will be watching, and making every attempt to drive down there myself. It is a 2.5 hour drive each way, but I realize the need to show my support. Do YOU?

Eddie

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26 March 2009 @ 06:23 pm

Town Halls discuss Deaf Education and many more issues!

Whew! Folks, it is an exciting time to be in Kentucky, with the recent series of Town HAll meetings aimed at focusing on deaf issues here, with the KCDHH traveling around to 4 sites in Kentucky in an effort to learn about the deaf and hard of hearing communitiy's concerns, suggestions, and so forth.

We just had our town hall for the Eastern portion of Kentucky this past Saturday, and I think it was an unqualified success! I would have loved for more people to have shown up, but the town hall was still well attended with approximately 40 members of the deaf and hard of hearing community present, as well as VR counselors, an itinerant teacher for the deaf (travels to different public, mainstreamed schools to ensure quality of deaf education offered to those students attending those schools), the KCDHH staff, a Hamilton Relay representative, and many others.

The folks at KCDHH have worked their rears off to make these meetings as professional, efficient, and educational as possible, and I want to thank them. Eastern Kentucky is an area that has been, for far too long, ignored in respect to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing, and this was a tremendous leap forward in allowing them to bring to light their concerns and ideas. I'm certain the KCDHH staff left there truly impressed by the desire and willingness of this community in this portion of the state to learn and fight for themselves. The Executive Director of the KCDHH (LizHill) has taken to putting together vlogs on a regular basis regarding many issues. She has done a wonderful job in the short time she has been here. If you would like an opportunity to view these vlogs (they are captioned for those who may not understand sign well), please view them at this link:

http://www.kcdhh.org/vlog/

There is one more town hall, in Northern Kentucky, which she discusses on her most recent vlog, as the date, time, and location have all been confirmed. I wish them well up there, and the community as well.

Two things jumped out at me during the course of the most recent town hall. One was the strong outcry for an increase in the quality of educational opportunities offered, and the second, was a craving for the new wireless technology the KCDHH will begin offering (FREE) to the deaf and hard of hearing throughout the state through their TAP (Telecommunications Access Program) program. Details are still being worked out on that, so more information will follow soon.

But the biggest issue was (to me) deaf educational opportunities. I didn't get a chance to ask the attendees regarding where their children attended school, but it makes me wonder about whether they want to mainstream their kids or send them to KSD? Many issues regarding that need to be discussed further, but it was good to see the concern apparent in so many people regarding this. I'm hoping that ignites a grassroots effort to recruit more qualified teachers and interpreters state-wide.

At any rate, I wanted to take this blog piece and give thanks and credit where they are due....KCDHH has done and continues to do, a wonderful job, and I wish those folks much continued success.

Eddie

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14 March 2009 @ 11:40 am

Deaf Town Hall Forum in Kentucky

Good day everyone! Some exciting news to update everyone on. The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH) is hosting their Eastern Kentucky town hall on Saturday, March 21, 2009 in Prestonsburg, Ky. The meeting location is at the Big Sandy Area Development District office located just off US 23 North. I will give more specific directions to the location at the bottom of this posting.

This is an EXTREMELY important opportunity for the deaf and hard of hearing, service providers, local government officials, and so on to come out and meet with the KCDHH staff, Hamilton Relay representatives, representatives of the Kentucky Association of the Deaf, and so on. Among the many topics to be discussed are Emergency Management issues affecting the deaf and hard of hearing, early hearing screening for babies, the KCDHH Visor Card program, and many other things. This is an excellent opportunity for residents of Eastern Kentucky to meet with and ask questions of their advocates in Frankfort, as well as learn about technology, legislative issues and so on. I recommend to anyone living in the area to come out. Light refreshments will be served, and the admission is free. For more information, a copy of the agenda, and information about KCDHH, please visit the following link:

http://www.kcdhh.org/special/townhalls.html

For more information about the Big Sandy Area Development District, please visit:

http://www.bigsandy.org/

The meeting is, again, on March 21, 2009. The meeting time is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Directions to the meeting location are as follows:

From Pikeville: Travel North on US 23 to Prestonsburg. After passing the exit for Rte. 114 (which goes downtown or leads to the Mountain Parkway/Salyersville), proceed to the next traffic light, and turn RIGHT. Go approximately 100 yards, and turn LEFT just before the bridge. Follow this road approximately 1/2 a mile and turn LEFT onto Resource Drive. The building is at the end of Resource Drive on the right. You will enter through the front door.

From Ashland/Louisa: Travel SOUTH on US 23 to Prestonsburg. Turn LEFT onto Rte. 1428 at the traffic light. Proceed straight about 100 yards, then turn LEFT just before the bridge. Drive straight app. 1/2 mile, turn left onto Resource Drive.

From Hazard/Route 80: Drive EAST on Route 80 to US 23 NORTH. Proceed straight on US 23 North approximately 4 miles. Turn RIGHT at the traffic light onto Rte. 1428, go app. 100 yards, turn left just before the bridge. Proceed straight for app. 1/2 mile, then turn LEFT onto Resource Drive.

From Lexington: Take I-75 to I-64 EAST, get onto the Mountain Parkway exit just outside of Winchester. Follow the Mountain Parkway straight to Prestonsburg. Go under US 23 and turn left onto the on ramp to go back up to US 23 North. Proceed to the traffic light, and turn right onto Rte. 1428. Go straight about 100 yards, turn left just before the bridge and proceed to Resource Drive. Turn Left onto Resource Drive.

From Frankfort: Take I-64 EAST to Lexington (merges with I-75 for a short while), then continue onto I-64 East from the split just past exit 113 towards Winchester. Proceed straight to the Mountain Parkway exit. Turn onto the Mountain Parkway and follow to Prestonsburg. Then get onto US 23 North by turning left onto the on ramp from under US 23. Proceed straight to the first traffic light, turn right onto 1428, go app. 100 yards, turn left just before the bridge, and then left again app. 1/2 mile later onto Resource Drive.

For a map of the location of the meeting, please feel free to visit this link:

http://www.bigsandy.org/Introduction/where_We_are.asp

I look forward to seeing everyone there! It should be a lot of fun and very educational! Tell all of your deaf and hard of hearing friends about it, and bring them with you.

See you there!

Eddie

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12 March 2009 @ 12:12 am

Captioned Movie Bill In Kentucky is DOA

That's right folks...We've lost this round in Kentucky. There are simply not enough days left in the legislative session to get this bill passed. In a perfect environment, with a lot of support and a companion bill in the opposite house, a bill can get passed in 4 days here, but it was just not to be this time. That's okay, I will be back in 2010 going at it again...

There were many reasons for the lack of activity on this bill:

1) Simply not enough face time with the legislators to let them know WHY this bill was needed.

2) Misleading information in a letter to several key legislators that I just found out about last week. So it was a lack of communication from them asking "Are these allegations/numbers, etc. true?" I'm in the process of trying to obtain a copy of the letter, and I WILL refute any erroneous allegations right here on this blog.

3) The economic climate. In this era of huge government spending, financial market upheaval, and so on, this was simply NOT a priority to the legislators. And the film industry is taking advantage of it, big time. Tax incentives in an economic incentives bill that I have previously discussed in other postings on this blog will prove to be non-productive. Thankfully, a Representative attached an amendment to "sunset" those incentives after a certain period of time. Here is hoping for that amendment to survive the floor vote and stay attached to the bill should it pass. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to be proven wrong and see Kentucky benefit tremendously from movie shoots taking place here, but with all the other incentives in other states, I believe it will not be successful enough to offset what we would lose in the long run.

4) Lack of the Deaf/HOH community having a strong voice in advocating for legislation. There were several bills introduced that would have improved the lives of the deaf and HOH, I believe only one was even able to get a hearing and get out of committee. I hope these come back up next session, and that we are more successful. But, to be blunt, the good folks at the KCDHH and other individuals like myself CAN NOT DO IT ALONE. We must have the vocal and ardent support of the other members of the Deaf and HOH community, and they must become more active and begin to contact their legislators and say "I matter, my opinion matters, and I want you to know what it is".

5) And the number one reason....Lack of empirical evidence showing a strong desire by the deaf and hoh community for more captioned movies or accessibility to them. That will be something I WILL be addressing over the next year, and discussing ways we can document not only our numbers, but our ardent desire for this accessibility as well. Research, TRUE research, based on OBJECTIVE and data-driven conclusions will be one of the most important factors in coming fights. No longer can we (nor should we anyway) try to make an emotional plea, we must begin to show data that is irrefutable. Whether it be for seeking better compliance with IDEA, better educational opportunities, better employment opportunities, better accessibility, or whatever. It must be data-driven and conclusive.

In closing, I want to pass out kudos to several lawmakers...Rep. Stan Lee (R) responded to my email indicating that he would be paying close attention to the bill should it come up. And State Senator Brandon Smith (R), not only responded to my email, but he did so in a very eloquent HAND WRITTEN note. Nice to see some people still take the time to attempt to make a personal connection to the citizens of this state. So to these two, plus Ray Jones (D), Leslie Combs (D), and Kelly Flood (D), I say "Thank You" for not only taking the time to listen, but also taking the time to let me know my voice WAS heard by you. And I would be remiss to leave out State Senator Dan Kelly (R), who changed his mind after hearing both sides of the story and indicated support for the bill. Sen. Kelly has always ben a strong supporter and advocate of the deaf and hard of hearing, knows some sign language, and attends the Kentucky DeaFestival every two years when it is put on. That is truly wonderful support, and it is very much welcomed and appreciated.

And so it goes...Any suggestions welcome.

Eddie

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09 March 2009 @ 08:06 am

Last Week to get Captioned movies bill passed....

Hey all, the legislative session for 2009 is winding down in Kentucky this week....That means this is the last chance to get the bills requiring movie theaters with 5 or more screens in one location to offer accessibility to captioned movies. If you are a Kentucky resident, that means this is your last chance to write or call your state senator or state representative and let them know how important this bill is to you. There has been some movement on it in the last few days, but whether or not it will be enough is up in the air.

So please, take a minute and send an email or make a phone call to your official. You can find out who they are if you are not sure, by visiting the Kentucky Legilslative Research Commission's website (www.lrc.ky.gov) and click on the "Who is my legislator link" on the left side of the homepage. There you have the opportunity to look them up by district, name, etc. and find their phone number or email address to contact them at.

Even if this does not pass this legislative session, I WILL be back in 2010 fighting for the same thing, if necessary. There is some late news regarding the Arizona versus Hawkins case, which was appealed to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the US Department of Justice has filed a "friend of the court" brief in support of Arizona against Hawkins theaters, stating that the district court was erroneous in it's interpretation of the ADA and requirements, among other things. This could signal a shift in not only the case, but also in DOJ and the Accessibility Guidelines for the future. Basically, it could mean that a revisitation of the guidelines for compliance with the ADA could be forthcoming to bring those guidelines more up to date with technology. We will see what happens. I'm also told that the representatives of the theater owners (I don't know if it is the national group or just the Kentucky owners) wrote a misleading or misinformed letter to several legislators here in Kentucky against the bill, which caused them to be hesitant to support it. Some people who have seen the letter from a couple of legislators were able to refute it's allegations, which has added some steam to the late-gathering support.

More later!

Eddie

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03 March 2009 @ 12:44 am

A Little Humor...

And people REALLY wonder why their kids do not do well in school...A few funnies, these are TRUE letters or notes from parents in the Memphis School District. Some are too funny to not laugh out loud. Enjoy, and this is courtesy of "On The Right!", a Conservative blog.

NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND....

These are real notes written by parents in the Memphis school district.

Spellings have been left intact.

1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE
today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i
had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on jan. 28,
29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is
administrating.

5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday
he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face

7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing
football. He was hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose
vowels.

11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre dyrea direathethe shits.

12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas
shopping because i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We
forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it
monday. We thought it was sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from friday. We have to
attend her funeral.

18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.

19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was
in bed with gramps.

21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.

22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor.

23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because she had a fever, sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.

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03 March 2009 @ 12:10 am

At Least Someone Is Listening....

Folks:

Just taking a minute here to give credit where it is due...Over the weekend, I emailed EVERY member of the 2 committees that the Captioned Movies bill is assigned to, asking each of them to please at least consider bringing the bill up for discussion in committee so that it doesn't die on the table. To date, ONE person has responded, Rep. Kelly Flood (D) of House District 75 (Fayette County, Ky.)

Kudos to Rep. Flood for taking the time to respond to an email from someone who is not even in her district! She was gracious in her response, stating "Thanks, Mr. Runyon, I will pay attention to the issue when it comes up in Judiciary and speak to Rep. Combs (my Rep) about your concerns." Simple, but to the point. Out of all of the people I have emailed through the assigned emails (other than my own representatives), she has been THE only one to respond, including even a Representative who was formerly over the Student Special Services Office at Eastern Kentucky University, Rep. Harry Moberly. You would think, of all the people, HE would be one to respond, having formerly been over the office that coordinates interpreters and notetakers for the deaf and hard of hearing at EKU, but nary a peep out of him.

I understand that, during legislative sessions, State Representatives and State Senators may be inundated with communications from their constituents, however, it is imperative that they at least give the courtesy of even a brief response, to let people know their voice has been heard. Seems Rep. Flood understands this.

Eddie

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01 March 2009 @ 10:48 pm

Do Tax Incentives to the Film Industry Rob the Schools for the Deaf?

Folks, I gotta give credit to those fine writers over at the Bluegrass Policy Blog for calling my attention to this article below that shows what a bad idea it is to offer film studios tax incentives. At least now I don't feel like a lonely voice railing against the darkness. Plain and simple, until the film industry can caption more of it's offerings, the deaf and hard of hearing community should be screaming loud and clear to their lawmakers 'NO!". From their attempts to get $240 million plus inserted into the recent federal economic stimulus bill, to this recent steamroll through the Kentucky legislature, the Motion Picture Association of Americas' lobbyists have been doing their level best to earn those big lobbying fees they bill out. Pay attention to the portion that I have highlighted in red in the article.

February 27, 2009

Pennsylvania Considers Dropping Film Tax Credit; Nebraska Considers Adopting One

by Joseph Henchman

We applauded Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) a few days ago for proposing elimination of the state's film tax credit. We noted:

Bribing companies to bring economic activity to your state means one of two things. Either they were going to come anyway and you're just wasting tax dollars for no benefit, or they weren't because something about your state isn't attractive to business. Picking a handful of industries to shower benefits on undermines the creation of a broad-based welcome mat for all types of business.

The Commonwealth Foundation reports that similar proposal from state Sen. Pat Vance is now under consideration. Pennsylvania spends $75 million per year on the program, which provides a 25% tax credit for films that spend at least 60% of their budget in the state. Vance cites a new state study showing that the program generated just $18 million in new tax revenue. (Emphasis added by me).

Aside from film tax credits providing no net benefits and diverting attention from true tax reform, states should be aware that as each state tries to outbid each other for these productions, the costs have risen to the point that a new entrant stands no chance. Michigan is basically paying out cash to films, and many other states have very generous credits. California recently upped the ante on their film credit program, so now you have to contend with the credit and their nice weather.

So for a state like Nebraska, which has no film tax credits but still manages to attract productions, one option is to break the bank trying to wrest a few productions out of states determined to subsidize this industry. Another option is continuing attracting the productions it does, avoid picking winners and losers and complicating the tax code, and otherwise sit back and enjoy movies subsidized by other states' taxpayers. Alas:

“By shooting in Nebraska you’ll get everything else, the great people and all of that, but you will spend more than shooting in Iowa," said Robinson.[...]

As for tax incentives, the state is aware of the disparity. "We're working toward creating a really effective film incentive package to place before the Unicam in 2010," said Omaha Film Commissioner Kathy Rocco.

Unbelieveable that ANY state would consider keeping or proposing a tax incentive that is shown to be such a hit or miss proposition. Isn't Pennsylvania right now considering closing their school for the deaf? I wonder how much of that net loss of $57 million dollars incurred by the state for trying to lure filmmakers there would have benefitted the school for the deaf in Pennsylvania? I'm pretty sure they could keep the school open and there wouldn't even be a debate about whether or not to close it if it were not for tax boondoggles such as this. And the scary thing is, is that incentive is almost word for word the same as the proposed one in Kentucky. Kentucky has proposed now, a 20% refund on the income tax. As evidence by the above and related articles, the problem with this, is that most of the money spent goes toward out of state workers who fly in, film, and fly out. It amounts to little more than a perk for the fim director, really.

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Pennsylvania Considers Dropping Film Tax Credit; Nebraska Considers Adopting One

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