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| Home Front: Politix |
| GOP gears up again to strip NPR of federal funds |
| 2011-01-15 |
| [Washington Examiner] For years, Republicans have wanted to cut off federal funding for National Public Radio. They tried and failed in the 1990s, but now, with a new GOP majority in the House, they're ready to try again. It's still a long shot, but they have a fighting chance. There are two reasons House Republicans are more optimistic than before: concern over federal spending and the lingering fallout from NPR's decision to fire commentator Juan Williams. "We're running annual deficits of over a trillion dollars," says Rep. Doug Lamborn, the Colorado Republican who has written a new bill to defund NPR. "With 500 cable TV channels, Internet on people's cell phones, satellite radio, we have so many sources of media that we don't need a government-subsidized source of media." Lamborn introduced an NPR-defunding bill last year but couldn't get much support. That changed in October when NPR fired Williams for confessing that he sometimes gets nervous when people in Mohammedan garb board airplanes. "Before the Juan Williams issue came up, it really wasn't on a lot of people's radar screens," says Lamborn. "People said, 'Oh, you can't go against Big Bird.' " |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #17 --I stand corrected on those layoffs, All 130 employees of NJN were issued layoff notices in mid-November, as required 45 days before a layoff. Those layoffs have been suspended, not revoked. Once NJN is transferred to another operator, its employees will leave the state payroll. |
| Posted by: Tom--Pa 2011-01-15 14:20 |
| #16 --NJ Public Television was one of the cuts that Gov Christie made last year. Here is the article explaining his plan. I believe just recently the (129) union workers were let go. |
| Posted by: Tom--Pa 2011-01-15 14:10 |
| #15 "Do... or do not. There is no try." - Short little alien |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-01-15 13:22 |
| #14 Frequencies are sellable. The government can take over those and sell them to the highest bdider, and Congress can add a law that makes the commitment that the federal government will stay out of broadcasting including arts funding forever. |
| Posted by: badanov 2011-01-15 12:13 |
| #13 Interesting idea, Badanov, privatize it instead of defunding it. Question is, however, of NPR and CPB, what does the government actually own that it could sell? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-01-15 11:35 |
| #12 What the Surviving Spemble said: The CPR gives NPR cover and deniability. |
| Posted by: Zombie Hillary Lover 2011-01-15 10:49 |
| #11 Defunding NPR is stupid. If they try to defund it, it becomes a political issue every year for the foreseeable future. I got a better idea: Sell PBS, everything, buildings, frequencies, goods and services contracts, employment contracts, everything. Everything must go. Defunding it means nothing and is subject to reinstatement and later compromise. Sell PBS. That is the only way to kill public broadcasting once and for all. |
| Posted by: badanov 2011-01-15 10:47 |
| #10 NPR = mouthpiece of the left and the Democratic Party. They can't survive in the market place. Let them scramble for listeners in the market place; otherwise let them go under. Talk radio survives in the market place because a lot of people like to listen to it. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-01-15 10:26 |
| #9 The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) launders a lot of the money that goes to NPR through local affiliates. Defund both. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2011-01-15 09:57 |
| #8 Don't forget that the non-direct funding is highly subsidized as charitable contributions if nothing else. Without the tax money in subsidies to all concerned NPR would not exist. |
| Posted by: Alan Cramer 2011-01-15 08:35 |
| #7 They don't know how much they fund state-sponsored infotainment? What are they a covert operation? That may be -- I never watch nor listen to them... |
| Posted by: regular joe 2011-01-15 08:04 |
| #6 ""With . . . Internet . . . we have so many sources of media that we don't need a government-subsidized source of media." Al Gore, you magnificent bastard! |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2011-01-15 07:43 |
| #5 They should just rename to be more accurate Radio Extortion, funded by threatening people like you! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-01-15 05:49 |
| #4 They can't have it both ways. Oh yes they can! They're liberals! |
| Posted by: gorb 2011-01-15 01:54 |
| #3 Even one dollar is too much for those treasonous bastards. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-01-15 01:51 |
| #2 NPR claimed during the Juan Williams fiasco that they barely got anf taxpayer monies. Now they are claiming they will be in dire straits if federal funding is cut off. They can't have it both ways. Personally I want to see every last dime of taxpayer money eliminated from going to NPR/PRI. Let them compete in the marketplace with their far left bias and see what happens. I really really want to see those smug snarky smiles wiped off their faces. Lying manipulative b*stards. |
| Posted by: Mikey Hunt 2011-01-15 01:45 |
| #1 How much federal money, all told, does NPR receive? Lamborn doesn't know. Anyone consider asking NPR where their money comes from? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-01-15 00:27 |