The federal government for decades has used taxpayer money to fund the Public Broadcasting System. PBS has always downplayed this. It makes it look as those “viewers like you” really means “taxpayers like you.”
In 2012, the government budgeted $445 million for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS. It also supports “All Things Considered,” the daily 90-mimute (or, if you’re lucky, 60-minute) FM-radio show that is run by FCC-subsidized non-profit ratio stations every afternoon.Without their grant of free spectrum, NPR and really bad Christian music shows would be off the air.
If the federal plug were pulled on this money, PBS would have to get by on voluntary donations. The idea of supporting liberal causes by voluntary donations is anathema to liberals, who do not trust the financial voluntarism of liberals. They trust the power of government, which they control. “We don’t need no stinking donations. We’ve got badges. We’ve also got guns.”
There is now a planned Million Muppet March on November 3. I somehow doubt that a million people will show up at the National Mall. It will be a good test case of liberal support for the PBS subsidy.
Romney has promised to end the subsidy to PBS. That promise is being used in an Internet video produced by the Obama campaign.
His threat triggered the idea for the Million Muppet March.
The actor who plays Big Bird is not part of the planned march.
The fact that a pair of pro-PBS citizens are calling for the march is a testimony to some men’s faith in the legitimacy of using badges and guns to fund their ideology and artistic tastes. The fact that this subsidy has gone on for decades is a testimony to the faith of millions of voters in the power of government to take money from groups who do not support specific projects in order to use this money to support those projects.
Big Bird is a symbol of this compulsory wealth transfer. Because he is loved by millions, people with a liberal agenda operate in his large shadow. They produce the other PBS shows.
Congress says: “Maybe you don’t like Big Bird, buddy. We don’t much care. The IRS has badges. It has guns. You’re going to support every Left-wing show that PBS broadcasts.”
Then there are the politically conservative PBS shows.
There must be. Somewhere.
Did you ever notice that during fund-raising week, the local PBS TV stations never run the liberal PBS shows. They run 1950s rock and roll revival concerts. They know better than to run the liberal shows.
Protect the United States is Governments first duty. If the money gets sca rce other programs must be eliminated or cut back to ensure our protection. If the program is not life or death the cuts should be more severe. S ully
This boils down to American Citizens who willingly, albeit ignorantly, Feed The Beast; then rant and rave about how their tax dollars are being wasted and spent by those who have the badges and the guns. They then turn to elections to stop the out of control spending and continue to elect those who propigate more spending. This happens at all levels of governance and is only designed to Feed The Beast.
Governments only justfy their need for tax dollars by the amount they spend, so saving, or reducing expenditures is not in their plan; just seperating the citizen from their hard earned dollars. This is why they come up with these "programs" that they fund, now by borrowing "credit" that has a compound interest attached to it. Then they need to generate more revenues (tax dollars) to just pay that interest.
The cycle continues and the American citizen refuse to educate themselves to this financial raping, but will defend the government's ability to drain their wallet, if it benifits them.Just what would it be like if the citizen said NO? Heck the governments would have to live with less, and not keep taking more.Think about it.
A few million here and a few billion there is no wonder we are about to go off the fiscal cliff. I think Sesame Street can stand on their own with just all the stuff they promote like Big Bird lunch boxes, dolls, etc. I would really like to know exactly how many people actually watch PBS. I am sure if Sesame Street is so popular, it could and would be picked up by another station that we are not subsidizing.
The one and only task of the federal government is to preserve the freedoms of the states, and the people. "Safety" or "security" is not their job. That authority belongs to you and I under the 2nd Amendment.
I see this million muppet march as wrong use of either side since it is peoples tax money on both sides of the fence that support it. I can see problems with using loved characters by children used to influence their parents to go against a singled out person such as Romney because of his statement against funding. When and if Romney and his administration starts the defunding thru congress, then those not in favor of not defunding PBS can state their case to the people and let the people decide. It may be more of a programing issue to be straightened out by the adults not using the children as leverage.