Mitt says he'll fire Big Bird!

[JJIII]

Originally Posted by bobabode

The bigger question here is, why do you and Mitt hate Bert and Ernie?

It's not Bert and Ernie, it's that damn Barney!!

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by JJIII

Didn't say that. I just don't see why the Feds have to be involved. If PBS cannot raise enough money on their own from the private sector to operate it seems to me they have a problem. Taking money from everyone by force of law to satisfy a few doesn't work for me.

And then they'd be beholden to those donors. Bye bye objectivity.

JJ, do you know what the annual Federal contribution to CPB is?

$445 million. Chump change. Costs you about a buck forty. The only reason Romney even mentioned it was because it's tried and true redneck red meat. Has been ever since Gingrich declared war on PBS and NPR, saying we didn't need it because we had the Discovery Channel. Great if you want to learn about tattoos and tractors.

John

[piece-itpete]

Discovery can be good, I've been watching Extreme Engineering on Netflix.

Pete

[ebacon]

So let's get this straight. Assume that the average American taxpayer has an $8,000 federal income tax bill. That means that less than a dollar goes to public television. It also means that the average American taxpayer is about $25,000 short on his military bill every year.

But the problem is Big Bird?

Shit balls.

[JBS...]

There was a time when I watched PBS all the time... "Michigan Outdoors", Loved that show. I haven’t watched it in years; cable has made it too easy with 24/7 outdoors channels...

Times are a changing…

[bobabode]

It really is chump change John. A $1.30 per year for something that keeps the kids occupied and teaches them their ABCs without ginning them up for the latest toy or sugar loaded cereal is beyond a bargain. Antiques Roadshow alone is worth the price of admission, in my opinion.

What gets under the far right's skin is stuff like Bill Moyer's one hour show, once a week. Other than that, it's a hell of a teaching resource for our schools and local colleges. Maybe that's their problem? All of those brand new and bright eyed ethical journalists can be such a pain in the ass, at times...

[JBS...]

Originally Posted by ebacon

So let's get this straight. Assume that the average American taxpayer has an $8,000 federal income tax bill. That means that less than a dollar goes to public television. It also means that the average American taxpayer is about $25,000 short on his military bill every year.

But the problem is Big Bird?

Shit balls.

I thought Obama’s rant on that was funny as hell… Really I did.

Too bad he didn't do it during the debate; he could have scored some points

[JJIII]

Originally Posted by Boreas

And then they'd be beholden to those donors. Bye bye objectivity.

My thought was the donors would be anybody in the public that cares to contribute, not necessarily large entities.

JJ, do you know what the annual Federal contribution to CPB is?

No, I sure don't. Thanks for the info.

$445 million. Chump change. Costs you about a buck forty. The only reason Romney even mentioned it was because it's tried and true redneck red meat. Has been ever since Gingrich declared war on PBS and NPR, saying we didn't need it because we had the Discovery Channel. Great if you want to learn about tattoos and tractors.

John

I do watch and appreciate PBS more than a little. I just think that we, as a government, are spending way too much more than we are taking in. That cannot go on for ever. We have to start cutting wherever we can. I know some expenditures are much larger than PBS. Everything has to be looked at. In our personal lives if things get tight we decide that we will fore go buying that shiny new car. We also cut back on entertainment expenses and buy the Budweiser or Old Milwaukee instead of the more expensive Micro-brew.

Damn, that blue print get irritating doesn't it? Sorry.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by ebacon

So let's get this straight. Assume that the average American taxpayer has an $8,000 federal income tax bill. That means that less than a dollar goes to public television. It also means that the average American taxpayer is about $25,000 short on his military bill every year.

But the problem is Big Bird?

Shit balls.

Don't you get it? It's so simple!

Hey, I gotta get me one o' them tattoos, just like that dude on the teevee just got!

John

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by JJIII

My thought was the donors would be anybody in the public that cares to contribute, not necessarily large entities.

Already happens, JJ. What do you think all those pledge drives are about. They can't raise enough that way, never have and never will. They've even had to dip their toe in the water with "corporate underwriters" as the Republicans keep whittling away their budget.

What sort of reporting on the Gulf Oil Spill do you suppose you'll get if BP is an underwriter of The News Hour?

John