[Scan-DC] Fairfax County's Public Access Plan (draft)

[Steve Rigby]

  My initial reaction to the draft plan, based upon a general 
reading of the document and without any particularly deep analysis,
is that total and "absolute" control is desired by the County.
Channels that have, for decades, been available to the
public-at-large, will now be unheard by any persons other than those
authorized by the County under this agreement.  Said authorization
can apparently be voided at any time, and for any reason that has
been determined to be at variance with the agreement, with said
determination to be under the sole and exclusive perview of the
County.  The permitee will seemingly have no recourse or avenue of
argument or redress.

  The County may even demand that the receiver, owned not by the
County, but by the user, must be surrendered to the County when so
ordered.  In addition, the County would seem to be held blameless in
the face of any action taken by the County under the terms of the
agreement.  And all this in order to buy some real expensive piece
of gear that the County, under his agreement, must approve, and may
or may not 'allow' you to use, just so you can listen to some basic
dispatch channels.

  On the face of it, the agreement seems to reflect various of the
concepts of software makers spelled out in those 'agreements' that
greet us upon launching almost any software installation program.
Geez!  I'm just waiting for these type of 'agreements' to finally be
fully aired in a court of law.

  Summing up my little discourse, I'd just say it all seems just a
bit extreme and indicative of something.

  Steve