# Now the Republicans are going after Public Broadcast Funding **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739 "2005-06-17T19:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/41 "2005-06-17T21:35:49Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Oh, god, I’m sorry. I should have let you speak your peace without expressing an opinion of my own. So long as you see the error of your ways, don’t worry about it. To be serious for a moment, though, your post is a perfect example of why I could never be a Libertarian. I get that the idea is that Government spending = Bad to you guys, but time after time I see you guys aligning yourselves with the Neo Conservatives because they are paying lip-service to a narrow part of your political agenda (not that I am using “you” and in “you Libertarians” I don’t have that sophisticated a notion of your as in “you Liberal” political acts). What it comes down to is that when you support the Neo-Conservatives because they throw you a bone once and a while (think Head Start as another example) you are, in my mind, doing far more harm than good. Perhaps you guys should get together and help with the freedom part of the struggle first, and then worry about cutting social programs. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/42 "2005-06-17T21:37:01Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > You are just cracking me up today, **'drone**. Thanks for not biting that hook!! Ooops. The lure was just too shiny to resist. Better luck next time. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/43 "2005-06-17T21:38:11Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Hundreds of billions for invading Iraq and bombing its populace, but nothing for teaching kids how to count and read? Republican priorities at work. [Nothing?](http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/index.html?src=gu) (My emphasis.) > [@](#): > > ED [Dept. of Education] currently administers a budget of about $71.5 billion per year and operates programs that touch on every area and level of education. The Department’s elementary and secondary programs annually serve more than 14,600 school districts and approximately 54 million students attending more than 94,000 public schools and 27,000 private schools. Department programs also provide grant, loan, and work-study assistance to nearly 9.9 million postsecondary students. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/44 "2005-06-17T21:43:39Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I did quite a bit of googling, but this was the best I could come up with. Thanks John. Not exactly the poor huddled masses yearning to watch Big Bird is it? > [@](#): > > - Older viewers > - Female viewers > - College-educated viewers > - Higher income viewers > [@rjung](#): > > Hundreds of billions for invading Iraq and bombing its populace, but nothing for teaching kids how to count and read? Republican priorities at work. And here I thought Bush had tossed in billions of new dollars at our public education system, increasing spending substantially (and to no good effect that I can see). Don’t we ALREADY pay billions for education in the US? I’m getting a figure of $71.5 billion per year from a quick google search…which seems to be up from past years even using a constant dollar. Or are you saying all we really need for education is PBS? If so I’m all for cutting our all federal funds to education (and getting rid of the Department of Education), and fully funding PBS. Hell, I’ll throw in NPR too boot, with a smile and a hearty wave… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/45 "2005-06-17T21:43:56Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Hundreds of billions for invading Iraq and bombing its populace, but nothing for teaching kids how to count and read? Republican priorities at work. I learned to read and write during the Vietnam war and without PBS. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/46 "2005-06-17T21:49:06Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > [Nothing?](http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/index.html?src=gu) (My emphasis.) Oh, and that’s just FEDERAL dollars. You live in CA, like I do, so you should know that about 1/2 of our roughly $100B state budget goes to education. Now, Republicans aren’t responsible for 100% of the education budget in the US, but it isn’t 0% either. I think a reasonable 50% estimate would be close to correct. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/47 "2005-06-17T22:29:51Z")
Isn’t that a Nielsen compilation? How many Nielsen boxes are in working poor homes? (I have no idea and am looking for info). Also, just because that survey shows those results doesn’t mean that SS et al ISN’T being watched in innner city homes. I think that a commercial free programming option is important, especially for kids. I don’t get why it is so important to the GOP to rid ourselves of this heinous thing called PBS. I just dont’ get it. Surely there are more important things to do and bigger fish to fry? Why is CPB the sacrificial lamb? To show the RR that it does have power? To feed the base that is threatened by the likes of Bill Moyer or a cartoon rabbit named Buster? What the hell? ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/48 "2005-06-17T23:28:23Z")
**Unclebeer** , why all of the hostility? They did indeed vote to eliminate the funding for 2008. It was reinstated, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. As I stated in my OP, I do indeed contribute to my local stations, that doesn’t preculde me from lamenting the loss of funding for one of the few truly worthwhile things my tax dollars still fund. Let me put it this way: I don’t have children, thus I don’t use the public schools, I don’t have a job that gets any federal funding whatsoever, hell I don’t even use the interstate on a regular basis. Public broadcasting is the one concrete place where I can see my tax dollars at work, and I enjoy it. If the folks against the funding of CPB are really concerned about the use of their tax dollars they need to take a look [here](http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_Pork_Barrel_Spending) and you could find plenty of ways to fund it. You see the thing is, that despite what you say about the demographics, PBS and NPR are available to all comers. Quality (commercial free) programming is right there for the taking. No subscriptions, no money up front. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/49 "2005-06-18T00:19:04Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > [Nothing?](http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/index.html?src=gu) I was referring to the “…totally eliminate funding by the year 2008” portion of the OP, actually. “Totally eliminate” == “nothing,” last I checked. > [@Duke of Rat](#): > > I learned to read and write during the Vietnam war and without PBS. Oh, good. Then you’re available for tutoring [90 million folks,](http://firstbook.org/about/factsonilliteracy.shtml) I take it? Next Tuesday good for you? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/50 "2005-06-18T00:20:49Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Oh, good. Then you’re available for tutoring [90 million folks,](http://firstbook.org/about/factsonilliteracy.shtml) I take it? Next Tuesday good for you? Well, it’s not like they need to learn anything beyond how to make change… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/51 "2005-06-18T00:30:00Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I was referring to the “…totally eliminate funding by the year 2008” portion of the OP, actually. “Totally eliminate” == “nothing,” last I checked. Then why did you say: > [@rjung](#): > > …nothing for teaching kids how to count and read Even if “nothing” went to CPB, we’re still spending hundreds of billions of dollars in the US on education every year. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars. “Funding to CPB” _ **does not equal** _ “all money going to teach kids to read and count”. It’s not even close. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/52 "2005-06-18T00:53:52Z")
Of COURSE poor people watch PBS and listen to NPR. It’s what makes them so desperate and violent. 'Cause there’s only so much Verta Mae Grovenor you can take before you have to go out and knock over a convenience store! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/53 "2005-06-18T00:58:11Z")
Hey, at least the “Riverdance” craze has come and gone! ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/54 "2005-06-18T01:19:26Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > A country cannot operate on a system where people opt out of supporting a war or not. Ummm…what war? Congress has issued no declaration of war. Not to mention the fact that, even if they had, by Presidential order the occupants of Camp X-Ray are not POWs. As I noted above, I sincerely hope that CPB does lose all federal funding, and then when they want to do a show about two mommies raising a kid and the Republican Party doesn’t like it, they can tell the GOP to go fuck itself and the hypocritical Religious Right it rode in on. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/55 "2005-06-18T01:23:46Z")
> [@UnwrittenNocturne](#): > > Somebody who genuinely cared for others might even decide that in the common interest it was advisable to provide services like this one. Then let him. I would say that the genuinness of the caring is in direct proportion to the willingness to fork over, and in inverse proportion to the willingness to fuck over. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/56 "2005-06-18T01:24:16Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Ummm…what war? Congress has issued no declaration of war. Not to mention the fact that, even if they had, by Presidential order the occupants of Camp X-Ray are not POWs. Must…resist…temptation…to play…this…semantic…game… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/57 "2005-06-18T01:33:45Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > To be serious for a moment, though, your post is a perfect example of why I could never be a Libertarian. I get that the idea is that Government spending = Bad to you guys, but time after time I see you guys aligning yourselves with the Neo Conservatives because they are paying lip-service to a narrow part of your political agenda (not that I am using “you” and in “you Libertarians” I don’t have that sophisticated a notion of your as in “you Liberal” political acts). > > What it comes down to is that when you support the Neo-Conservatives because they throw you a bone once and a while (think Head Start as another example) you are, in my mind, doing far more harm than good. Perhaps you guys should get together and help with the freedom part of the struggle first, and then worry about cutting social programs. Just a thought. Yep, I agree. There are two schools of thought on that. One says that economic freedom must precede social freedom; otherwise, you continue to finance the tyranny. The other says that nothing will motivate people to demand economic freedom until they’ve lost their social freedom entirely. But I line up with you more than you might think. It’s just that on those issues, you very seldom need a “me too”. Also, I sometimes go far left of you on some of those: e.g., legalize all drugs, prostitution, and gambling. I know it might seem inconsistent from your point of view, but it all follows from the single premise of noncoercion. I know you might get sick of hearing it, and it all becomes tiresome eventually. I’m just as sick of hearing the Neo-Cons and the Leftists as you are of hearing me. But honestly, I think we should all keep talking, in case something great happens. Me? I’m just here mainly to point out the false dichotomies — to ensure that everyone knows there are more than two points of view. I’m sorry it gets in your craw. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/58 "2005-06-18T01:40:35Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > …". Also, I sometimes go far left of you on some of those: e.g., legalize all drugs, prostitution, and gambling. I… Small correction. This position is in no way left of me, specifically. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/59 "2005-06-18T02:06:51Z")
This is an issue that just sends me. Network news pisses me off. I get a thirty second blurb of a story (if that) that contains very little information. The news has gotten more sensationalized because that’s what get ratings and gets the moneys from the adverts. End result: news for nitwits. NPR and PBS at least provide information. Why? Because they can. They don’t have to squish the format to make room for another spinoff because they are government and public funded. Not a lot of whoring going on. They even have three ombudsmen to determine any form of bias in the news. Nobody else has any. If you want fair and balanced, you go to NPR. My representative will hear from me on this. Touching NPR is like trying to teach I.D. in my school. It’s not going to happen without a fight. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739/60 "2005-06-18T02:09:08Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Small correction. This position is in no way left of me, specifically. Okely Dokely. 🙂 How about the elimination of national borders? Left of you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-the-republicans-are-going-after-public-broadcast-funding/308739.md?page=4)