Trying to get rid of PBS and NPR

Hi,

You know that email petition that keeps circulating about how Congress is slashing funding for NPR and PBS? Well, now it's actually true. (Really. Check the footnotes if you don't believe me.)

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS:

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

A House panel has voted to eliminate all funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and other commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year—$100 million—and end funding altogether within two years. The loss could kill beloved children's shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Arthur," and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.

If we can reach 250,000 signatures by the end of the week, we'll put Congress on notice.

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Thanks!

P.S. Read the Washington Post report on the threat to NPR and PBS at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=745

 

Oh my god, are they stupid? That some of the best programing on television right now!

I'm on it

 

Why in the world would they do that? It just seems wrong. NPR is were I first learned that Bush was taking money for social security to make tax cuts for the ritch. How many sigs do you have right now?

 

i am subscribed to moveon too. full of informative information but kinda annoying that you get stuff every single day...but pbs......that is horrible.

 

i have no idea how many sigs they got but i'm posting this everywhere.

 

"Americans overwhelmingly see public broadcasting as an unbiased information source," Rep. David Obey (Wis.), the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, said in a statement. "Perhaps that's what the GOP finds so offensive about it. Republican leaders are trying to bring every facet of the federal government under their control .... Now they are trying to put their ideological stamp on public broadcasting."

taken from the washington post article.....

 

Goddammit, it's at times like these that I wish all Republicans in office would just die.

HOW DOES TAKING AWAY PBS AND/OR NPR PROMOTE "FAMILY VALUES?"
When I was a little kid, PBS, along with Sesame Street, Barney, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Mr. Rogers taught me (along with my parents, of course) to LOVE and CARE for people. The television world is a mire of smut and indecency: every other children's network promotes only learning math, reading, etc. and pumps kids full of commercials for Barbie and Breakfast Cereals. Just because Republicans are stupid shitheads that think that Big Bird telling Snuffaluppagus that he's his best friend is a reason to question their respective sexual orientations and condemn them as "twisted homosexual perverts" doesn't mean that little children will grow up to fuck goats. Goddammit, if our last haven of TRUE family values in the media is taken away... I don't know, but I won't be happy. I STILL watch Sesame Street sometimes- in my opinion it's one of, if not the best, shows ever to hit TV.

And no asshole is going to take it away because it contains "liberal bias" (or perhaps, "weapons of mass destruction?")

 

and that'd put levar burton out of a job......


Reading rainbow Rocks....

 

I hear the Bush administration is going to replace Sesame street with the Bush version, Baghdad Street. Oscar the Grouch will be an insurgent living in a garbage can in a ghetto of Baghdad robbing people. He'll teach them the difference between up and down by roughing them UP and shaking them DOWN. Since Big Bird is so tall, he'll be playing the sidekick Osama bin Laden. Mr. Hooper's little shop will be a front for a dive that packs cars with explosives for suicide missions. Ernie and Bert (Bush and Cheney) will be the great Caped Crusaders, saving the world from Islam and instilling 'Christian' values everywhere by whatever force necessary. And finally, The Count (Count Dracula) will be there to keep count of all the deaths.

PS: Did you even notice that Bush and Cheney's faces, personalities, and voices really do resemble Ernie and Bert?

.

 

My children will be crushed they don't watch nick, they only watch PBS, so all there shows will be gone this is bullshit!

 

I don't care about PBS.

 

I always liked Bob Ross. He always seemed like a hippy kind of guy. Electric Company was a good youngsters show.

The House has been talking about doing away with PBS funding for a couple decades. There was a big stink back in the 90s about doing away with federal funding for the Endowment for the Arts because someone supposedly painted a pic of Jesse Helms being thrown off a building on a project that received federal funding. PBS has gotten grants from oil companies, so they're not totally dependent on federal funding.

.

 

$300 billion on Iraq in about two years amounts to about $400 million a day. So the $100 million cut in PBS is about 6 hours worth of Iraq funding. Why don't we just pay for PBS by withdrawing from Iraq 6 hours early.

.

 

i like Dragon Tales.

 

Shaggie: because we're not going to be pulling out of Iraq.

I signed the petition, I really hope this kind of thing actually has an effect. I always sign these internet petitions and wonder if anyone ever sees them or uses them. Let's hope they see this one.

 

Maybe we could just pull out temporarily for 6 hours?

You know Bush's stock phrase: "We'll leave as Iraq soon as possible but not a moment sooner."

When asked when he'll answer the question more consisely, Bush replies, "As soon as possible but not a moment sooner."

.

 

NPR is the only radio station I listen to...

I signed the petition. I also send money to NPR yearly. It is a favorite source for news of mine. This is a shame. I lose more and more respect for this administration and the republican party daily.

 

*signed*

they've got nearly 500,000 signatures.

i doubt it matters, though..

 

PBS is fine. They are more or less middle of the road. But seriously, NPR. Someone show me how they are not unbiased towards the so-called "left". Believe me, Bush sucks, I'll be the first to admit it. But they REALLY drop the ball when it comes to exposing malfeasance on the democrat side. Which is just as rife as on the republican one. They may as well have just come out and said vote for kerry. I would just as soon not have my tax dollars go to propping up one head of the two-headed beast.

 

By the way, ALL those internet "petitions" are MEANINGLESS. They make small-minded people feel better for a few minutes, but they accomplish nothing. If you really want to save these organizations, why not take the time to actually write a letter? A paper and pen letter? It is completely disingenuous for moveon, or any other org to post an "internet petition", as anyone who knows anything about the way these things work knows that these internet petitions accomplish nothing. Call your senator or rep on the phone, call their office. Or write to them. THAT is what they respond to, not meaningless internet petitions. Why do you think senior citizens get so much consideration? Because THAT'S ALL THEY DO. And they actually VOTE, and all the "powers that be" know it. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Internet "petitions" cannot be verified, can be falsified, and are, as a rule, ignored. Just a suggestion. As for me, I couldn't care less. It's all propaganda of one sort or another. I DO like Nova though...