The Big Bird Debate

I’d say that trying to get me to feel sorry for a company that has merchandizing rights to Seseme Street is like the GOP trying to get Democrats to feel sorry for the fate of Mitt Romney’s boyhood home;  except, the GOP isn’t playing any violins for Romney.  It’s better to compare reality to reality. 

Big Bird will do just fine. 

And the budget crisis will still exist without Big Bird. 

The real question to me is, if a budget cut will have that little of a impact (if any) on the economy, can our politicians on the Hill, make the cut?  Do they have the moral courage to make a cut with that much inconsequence? 

Because if they can’t, then they won’t be able to tow the line in areas where austerity truly matters. 

But it is kind of comical, when I think of it in terms of David and Goliath.  I think of The Bird beating his chest and challenging the throngs of cowering muppets.  And I think of Elmo sauntering out before the armies of muppets, gathering a few stones from the riverbed, and going at it with the Bird. 

Elmo might have the stones to go against the Bird, but as for our people on the Hill,
I don’t think they have ‘em. 

But, we’ll see.

But NPR is an unofficial arm of the Democratic Party.  Do you want NPR to suffer the fate of Air America?

The problem isn’t the money.  The problem is that taxpayer money is being used to underwrite leftist political causes.  Same problem with NPR which should also be defunded.

You people raise some important issues.  Let me take them one at a time.

Elmo might have the stones to go against the Bird, but as for our people on the Hill, I don’t think they have ‘em. 

It’s not the people on the Hill that need them.  It’s we the people.  We the people need to remind them, they are at “the Hill” by the mercy of we the people.

Do you want NPR to suffer the fate of Air America?

  Yes.

The problem is that taxpayer money is being used to underwrite leftist political causes.

I’m an equal opportunity offender.  Even if they were underwriting rightist political causes, I’m for throwing the axe.

I am praying that the victor in these various races are not there for popularity, jockularity or any other kind of larity.  They need to go with a good supply of pencils with erasers, a pocket constitution and a daily dose of We the People who demand a balanced budget, common sense and a government that does the work government was designed to do.  We the People then need to awaken any that are still dozing off and return us to being a nation of morals and faith.

I like Big Bird, too.  And Mr. Rogers (I know he’s dead, but is the show still on?).  But, yes, we are going to have to cut all kinds of things to balance the budget.  If I needed to cut back my household expenses, it’s the little things that would have to go first, and PBS may just be one of those things.

I have supported the local PBS for the joy of the occasional show I catch there (usually music on the appeals, actually, the oldies and goodies).  However, now that I am aware that the PBS folks make ENORMOUSLY more that I do, and on the government dole, I think they can appeal to their officers at the national level.  They ought to be able to help.  If not, then they are responsible for Big Bird’s demise, not I.

RE:  “It’s not the people on the Hill that need them. It’s we the people. We the people need to remind them, they are at “the Hill” by the mercy of we the people.”

We may need some of that too, Jackie.  I find though that there is an overwhelming dissonance among both liberals and conservatives, and that it operates in the same fashion.  People who tend to vote Democrat want People who tend to vote Republican, to think critically about the Republican candidate, but they don’t want to think critically about their own candidate.  Likewise, the other way around.  I have a different worldview, but I think and do the same things, rather lemming-like.  It’s spooky.  And it does not inspire hopefulness in me for my own generation, let alone my grandchildren’s. 

I look around me at our “grass roots” conservatives, and they’re promoting guys like Boehner, mindlessly.  Two years after the windfalls of 2012, and l.i.b.e.r.ty.g.r.o.u.p.s. are applying the exact opposite philosophy of responsible voting that the Tea Party is all about.  It’s the same ham-fisted way of voting that conservative Christians have been doing, since as far back as I can remember.  And its goal isn’t even as steeped in the public good as it needs to be. 

And we do this, knowing that if we show the same kind of love to our own children, that they will turn out to be n’r do wells. 

Why?  Why do we make these wrenching choices for our children, but not for our nation?

There is no reason for the government to have a television station. The private sector has demonstrated it is quite capable of producing a cable channel for just about every topic in which a person could, would, should - or shouldn’t!- be interested. While most of what’s on the digital dial is crap, some of it is good - better than Big Bird and All Things Considered.

Besides, when NPR and PBS were founded, they were supposed to be commercial-free. Both of them are loaded with commercials today.

Let Big Bird and ATC’s producers find out if their shows are good enough to be picked up by a commercial station.

There is no reason for the government to have a television station.

Why there is too!  How better to pump out insiped pablum to young boys to give them a role model to grow up as insipid men.  PBS is indoctrination central.  Just think Germany, WWII, Pravda…..

PBS was founded when there were only three networks and there was thought to be a need for alternative programming. It has outlived its purpose.

Not to mention that under federal law cable subscribers get hit with substantial fees (hidden taxes) to underwrite “public access” stations.

#7 that is counter to what I am seeing but agree it is a problem.  The answer, however, remains the same.  The voters must be active and vocal.

Please, someone, dust off your copy of the Constitution and show me where the federal government has the right to own a corporation?  Or contribute towards some and not others?  Charities?

Both of these areas need to be on the chopping block.  Completely and totally, I don’t care who they are or what they represent.  Unfortunately, if you sell the stock the government bought in the auto industries it will sell it for a loss…how’s THAT for a good investment…

Goodbye to $4,000,000,000 of oil tax incentives.  Goodbye to $90,000,000,000 worth of green energy tax incentives/loans.

A friend was kind enough to forward me the actual list of budget cuts that Paul Ryan has proposed; remember, democrats have wailed that “nothing can be cut”.  Note the worthy programs below that democrats say we need;

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PAUL RYAN’S PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS A List of Republican Budget Cuts
Notice S.S. and the military are NOT on this list.
These are all the programs that the new Republican House has proposed cutting. Read to the end.

* Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy—$445 million annual savings.
* Save America ‘s Treasures Program—$25 million annual savings.
* International Fund for Ireland—$17 million annual savings.
* Legal Services Corporation—$420 million annual savings.
* National Endowment for the Arts—$167.5 million annual savings.
* National Endowment for the Humanities—$167.5 million annual savings.
* Hope VI Program—$250 million annual savings.
* Amtrak Subsidies—$1.565 billion annual savings.
* Eliminate duplicating education programs—H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.
* U.S. Trade Development Agency—$55 million annual savings.
* Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy—$20 million annual savings.
* Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding—$47 million annual savings.
* John C. Stennis Center Subsidy—$430,000 annual savings.
* Community Development Fund—$4.5 billion annual savings.
* Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid—$24 million annual savings.
* Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half—$7.5 billion annual savings
* Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%—$600 million annual savings.
* Essential Air Service—$150 million annual savings.
* Technology Innovation Program—$70 million annual savings.
* Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program—$125 million annual savings..
* Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization—$530 million annual savings.
* Beach Replenishment—$95 million annual savings.
* New Starts Transit—$2 billion annual savings.
·    Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts—$9 million annual savings
* Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants—$2.5 billion annual savings.
* Title X Family Planning—$318 million annual savings.
* Appalachian Regional Commission—$76 million annual savings.
* Economic Development Administration—$293 million annual savings.
* Programs under the National and Community Services Act—$1.15 billion annual savings.
* Applied Research at Department of Energy—$1.27 billion annual savings.
* Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership—$200 million annual savings..
* Energy Star Program—$52 million annual savings.
*Economic Assistance to Egypt—$250 million annually.
* U.S.Agency for International Development—$1.39 billion annual savings.
* General Assistance to District of Columbia—$210 million annual savings.
* Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority—$150 million annual savings.
*Presidential Campaign Fund—$775 million savings over ten years.
* No funding for federal office space acquisition—$864 million annual savings.
* End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
* Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act—More than $1 billion annually.
* IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for some services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing it to remain as part of its budget—$1.8 billion savings over ten years.
*Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees—$1 billion total savings.WHAT THE HELL IS THISABOUT?
* Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees—$1.2 billion savings over ten years.
* Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of—$15 billion total savings.
*Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.WHAT???
* Eliminate Mohair Subsidies—$1 million annual savings.
*Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—$12.5 million annual savings WELL ISN’T THAT SPECIAL
* Eliminate Market Access Program—$200 million annual savings.
* USDA Sugar Program—$14 million annual savings.
* Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—$93 million annual savings.
* Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program—$56.2 million annual savings.
*Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs—$900 million savings.
* Ready to Learn TV Program—$27 million savings..
* HUD Ph.D. Program.
* Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act.
*TOTAL SAVINGS: $2.5 Trillion over Ten Years