Monopoly rates unfair to seniors

To the editor:With the leadership of the Missouri Senate, cable-TV reform may soon be underway in the state. This is good news for consumers. The lack of competition in the video-services market is particularly bad news for seniors. With cable-service prices increasing faster than the prices of other essential services such as health care and prescription drugs, seniors are adversely affected by increasingly high cable rates. A recent study by the American Consumer Institute determined that a senior-citizen household will pay $1,200 too much for cable-TV services over the next five years in monopoly cable-TV markets. There are many studies that conclude that cable competition leads to lower consumer prices and better products.

Thank you, state Sen. Jason Crowell, for supporting actions to reduce market barriers that will benefit cable-TV and broadband consumers, especially seniors.

MARY GREASER, Cape Girardeau