PBS Responds To Romney: Cutting Federal Funding Would Have ‘Virtually No Impact’ On the Deficit -- The federal investment in public broadcasting equals about one one-hundredth of one percent (0.0001%) of the federal budget. Elimination of funding would have virtually no impact on the nation’s debt, yet the loss to the American public would be devastating.
Read full statement from PBS here.
This is a follow-up to my earlier blog post.
16 comments:
couldn't believe my ears really.
of all the areas that could be cut and he would cut public television.
the one source for intelligent and beautiful programming and fair reporting.
the arts always get it don't they.
tam...Not this time (fingers crossed). You are right though...the arts are usually the first to be axed.
where do we cut then, on a family budgetevery "little" bit that you cut adds up, everytime they want to cut something "it's only just a few millions surely it won't make a difference" alittle million here a little million there it sure well make a difference.ulatibo
First things first. How about ending tax breaks for the major oil companies? Big Oil not Big Bird, PBS makes staying at home so much more pleasurable for all age groups.
Couldn't agree more. Some families can't afford cable, and PBS can be counted on to provide something informative and entertaining for everyone in the family. America is exceptional, we can figure out how to prioritize something this special.
To the other Anonymous:
Thanks for your support.
This article which is a preview of the article in Fortune Magazine in August that I missed. It sums it all up nicely.
http://www.salon.com/2012/08/18/romney_to_ax_art_funding_salpart/
Thank you so very much for being brave enough to post info about this absurd, mean-sporited situation that would be a deprivation for so many while large amounts of government money are wasted on worthless projects. You cannot help but question such convoluted pathetic judgment.DBH
DBH -- FINALLY...a comment by someone who doesn't hate me for posting about this Republican proposal to give PBS the boot and cut off their federal funding.
PBS is one of my favorite things to blog about so I felt I should come their defense.
I only blog about what interests ME so those that aren't interested in an occasional political post can just skip over them. I would love to keep my head in the sand too but I want to cast my vote with as much knowledge as possible.
Thanks for your support :)
xo, Rosemary
You shouldn't be "scolded" for posting something that is of interest to you. This is your personal blog after all, and as you say in your intro- it reflects your personal taste. If someone isn't interested in one of your posts, then it's easy enough to skip over it to something that they do prefer instead.
Anonymous...Thanks so much for your support.
I do want to note one more thing, but before I do I would like to share some personal background. My father and husband served in the military here and overseas. I currently have brothers who work as defense contractors, and I sold to the Federal Government, including the military branch. I do not have an axe to grind against the military. What I am is an American citizen who is very worried about the present and future of our country.
There are many areas where we can and should cut waste in the Federal and State Governments, but I'll just focus on the military budget here. There are official government links I could provide, but I'm not sure that I am allowed to post links. It's easy enough to Google "List of countries by military expenditures" though. Keep in mind that these are just published numbers. Believe me, in reality, ours are even higher.
Top 5 Military Spending Rankings (by Country)
1) USA- $689,591,000,000
2) China- $129,272,000,000
3) Russia- $64,123,000,000
4) France-$58,244,000,000
5) UK- $57,875,000,000
Our military spending is more than double the amount of the next four countries combined. We actually still spend a little bit more than the next 16 countries in the list COMBINED.
Some more information on the top 5...
1) USA- % of GDP: 4.7% / Per Capita $2,141
2) China- % of GDP: 2.1%% / Per Capita $74
3) Russia- % of GDP: 3.9% / Per Capita $428
4) France- % of GDP: 2.3% / Per Capita $879
5) UK- % of GDP: 2.6% / Per Capita $893
So, after looking at these numbers, does anyone still think that we should make even more drastic cuts to education, etc? Do you still think that a large portion of our population should sacrifice the chance of a better future for us and our children? So we can do what- triple our military spending compared to everyone else? While we are spending more than double on our military, other countries are investing their money on their own citizens and on the future of their country instead. This is a global market, but we are not investing in our share of it like we should be. What do you think the outcome will be if we continue on this road?
Rosemary,
I'm sorry. I forgot to post my name to the two comments I just submitted. Also, I think my second comment will appear jumbled, because your site doesn't allow me to include paragraph coding.
You do have a wonderful blog though, and I enjoy reading it and clicking on all the interesting links you provide!:)
Ni H
Big Bird will not be unemployed. Private funding will increase to continue PBS. Those that can afford to send in even a small amount should do so. I support PBS because I watch it. I hope that everyone that can will put their money where there mouth is. (That being said, I do agree that there are many other areas that should be looked at for cutbacks from government.)
I support you 100%; and really anyone who doesn't recognize the enormous value of PBS should have his head examined!
You are brave; and you are also very well-spoken and no wonder so many people subscribe to your delightful blog!
Brava!!!
Thanks for voicing what so many of us feel! Certainly cuts must be made but they should not target the most vulnerable in our society including children, the elderly and people those with disabilities.
PBS provides quality entertainment to so many.
Go Bigbird!
Rosemary, I remember several years ago when a President cut funding for PBS (very late 70's early 80's). Programming went into the wee hours of the morning then. I was enthralled with a BBC comedy airing at the time, Hello, Hello. The cut was made. PBS stopped airing at 11pm and they never continued with Hello, Hello. Very sad time--but life went on. PBS survived! And the programming is even better today. Of all the networks, PBS is the ONLY network the American public could save--not to mention the only one worth saving--but that's another topic altogether.
Long story short, Rommeny's not the first to suggest it. It's one of those categories where they can brag, "I cut the budget!" without any impact.
What I find more disturbing is the political talk that's been taking place for a few years now regarding the end of "free" TV and radio. I'm sure that will materialize--it's just a matter of time....
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