George takes a swipe at Big Bird

[€uroMeinke]

I guess the other issue I have, is when someone cites an example of something potentially filling the void of publicly funded programming, it's almost always of the "pay" and not "public/broadcast" variety.

[wendybeth]

Eh, I give up. This damned 'war' is going to bankrupt the country, and I no longer even care. (Much). We can give hundreds of millions to some jackass up in Alaska to build what amounts to his own private bridge to his island, and no one seems to have a problem with that. Everything is being cut, at least everything that goes to help the poor and elderly and mentally ill and all the other powerless in this nation, and the industrial military complex grinds along with nary a protest. We have some really ****ed up values these days.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

We can give hundreds of millions to some jackass up in Alaska to build what amounts to his own private bridge to his island, and no one seems to have a problem with that.

(Raises hand) I do.

and the industrial military complex grinds along with nary a protest.

I will never object to that. The protection of our country is one of the only constitutionally mandated functions of the feds. This, of course, does not mean there is not waste and/or corruption.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

The protection of our country is one of the only constitutionally mandated functions of the feds.

If only there was any proof that the billions of dollars we put into Iraq are actually protecting us from any real threat. We aren't one tiny bit safer due to this war. If anything, we have made things worse.

Meanwhile, we are perfectly fine cutting the arts, cutting medicare, cutting student loans, etc.

It is downright sickening.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

This, of course, does not mean there is not waste and/or corruption.

When literally billions of dollars are wasted because congress insists on building more stealth bombers, despited the Air Force's insistence that they don't need any more (old example, but true and illustrative of how big of a military waste problem we have), I have a hard time swallowing the insistence that the CPB is the first place to start looking for budget cuts. Cutting $50 million may cripple public broadcasting, and will do next to nothing to restore spending order. Cutting several billion dollars of fat out of the military will barely register and would actually make a noticeable dent in spending. One word...priorities.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

We can give hundreds of millions to some jackass up in Alaska to build what amounts to his own private bridge to his island, and no one seems to have a problem with that.

There were an average of four earmarks per congressional district in the transportation bill, so it isn't so much that nobody has a problem with it but that everybody has a problem with it except when the money comes to their home town and so everybody looks away.

If you haven't seen nary a protest you haven't been looking in the right places. The fiscally conservative side of the Republican base has been up in arms since the transportation bill passed. Check out Porkbusters for an example.

Hopefully the earmarks process will be killed but it benefits both parties so probably not.