Do We Really Need a National Weather Service?

[BDBoop]

Do We Really Need A National Weather Service? | FoxNews.com

Check the last four letters in the URL. Derp.

I can't even grab a couple of paragraphs. I'm laughing too hard.

G'nite, Irene.

 

[Sallow]

Gotta love them.

 

[BDBoop]

Fark is having a blast over this one.

Di Atribe posted

So I read a few more comments (can only read a few at a time.... can't handle all of it at once), and I think what they're trying to say is that poor people don't deserve weather forecasts. If you want it, then you can pay for it.

Are they really that selfish? That they can't bear to contribute .... hold on, math is coming.... so one billion out of one trillion is *counts on fingers* like a penny out of every tax dollar? For the common good? Is the concept of "the common good" completely foreign to them? I just don't understand how you can tell all these people you live with to basically fark off and do your own weather forecasts. I just.... my brain.... my soul hurts.

 

[rdean]

This is the "mistake" they cite:

Relying on inaccurate government reports can endanger lives. Last year the Service failed to predict major flooding in Nashville because it miscalculated the rate at which water was releasing from dams there. The NWS continued to rely on bad information, even after forecasters knew the data were inaccurate. The flooding resulted in 22 deaths.

------------------

Because water being released from dams is part of the "weather". Their solution? Privatize it. Because people selling weather with a "profit motive" sell the best weather.

So sick of the right wing. Well, the one good thing about Fox, if they don't like the weather, they just "make up" new weather.

 

[Big Fitz]

If they would stick to only reporting data and not play in politics... it's a good use of the taxpayers money to have this.

 

[rdean]

If they would stick to only reporting data and not play in politics... it's a good use of the taxpayers money to have this.

Just curious. How does the weather service "play politics"?

 

[Avatar9]

Their solution? Privatize it. Because people selling weather with a "profit motive" sell the best weather.

What?

That post makes no sense.

One sells access to information (specifically, one's data points and predictions), not weather. Well, maybe one could sell weather if one were Storm from the X-men, but you do realize that's a comic book, right?

 

[bripat9643]

Do We Really Need A National Weather Service? | FoxNews.com

Check the last four letters in the URL. Derp.

I can't even grab a couple of paragraphs. I'm laughing too hard.

G'nite, Irene.

What are you laughing at?

You're one of the biggest dingbats in this forum, so when you're laughing at something, the rest of us can assume it's something perfectly sensible.

 

[bripat9643]

If they would stick to only reporting data and not play in politics... it's a good use of the taxpayers money to have this.

Just curious. How does the weather service "play politics"?

They propagandize about AGW.

 

[California Girl]

It's an opinion piece. OpEds are designed to ignite a debate. Apparently, that is outside the intellectual pay grade of the OP and quite a few posters on here.

 

[zzzz]

I know if I want to see what the weather is going to be like I go to NOAA's National Weather Service and it has been a lot more accurate than the weather on every TV station in the Indianapolis region. The problem is that the weather people sensationalize forecasts, adding a few degrees here and there or hyping the potential bad weather. Its like promoting a new show. The NWS is just giving a reasonable forecast based without the hype and it has been more accurate. Compare the weather forecast between the NWS site and your local weather ad you will see. Also the NWS gives hour by hour forecast of not just temperature but rain/snow, hail, lightning, wind, wind chill and hydrological information of which has been pointed out was in error.

Getting rid of the NWS would save money but I think that without a baseline forecast the other weather services hype could be overwhelming. Plus who would then issue warnings? One organization might issue a Tornado warning and another might not.

 

[strollingbones]

i understand accue weather is behind the push to get rid of the national weather service.....

i think we need it....

 

[Avatar9]

If we get rid of the NWS, do we leave small Kansas towns to their own devices when it comes to tornado watches and warnings? If they're wiped out by a twister, do we say 'too bad, they should have money for cable so they could have watched the Weather Channel'?

 

[code1211]

Do We Really Need A National Weather Service? | FoxNews.com

Check the last four letters in the URL. Derp.

I can't even grab a couple of paragraphs. I'm laughing too hard.

G'nite, Irene.

The current system seems to work and does provide info for the common good.

If it is too costly to maintain, ther are other options. Every TV station in the area in which I live has its own radar. I don't know if the satelites are government owned or owned by The Weather Channel, but these are clearly a step up from "Holy Mackeral! Look at those waves! A storm's a brewin'"

Living in Tonado Alley, we get warnings from the National Weather Service pretty regular through the summer and snow forcasts were pretty important in the younger days in northern Minnesota.

If you're looking for something to cut to save cash, why not look at the redundant layers of government? We have 22 spy agencies and we are continuously surprised by what the rest of the world thinks/says/does.

Do we need 22 agencies to be misinformed? Couldn't we be clueless with, say, 12? Not saying that the Bozoes are clueless, just that they are continuously wrong.

If we are no longer exploring space, do we need NASA? Just asking.

I don't need home mail delivery 6 days each week. Does anyone? Why would they?

If there was no social engineering required in the Tax Code, the whole operation could be handled by a Boy Scout Troop with automatic weapons. (Some enforcement required) Issue Merit Badges for every Trillion collected.

We currently have 10 Active Super Carriers in the Navy. We are not involved in a world war. Do we need all 10? How about the 3 additional that are currently planned or under construction? Military bases? Do we really need to have more than 700 worldwide? Do we need to have more than a quarter million troops deployed on foreign soil?

The inefficient war on poverty? The notorious Highway Bill that annually pays off cronies in local fiefdoms of Senators, using the Department of Fish and Wildlife to regulate the design and construction of guitars?

C'mon, people! The things that are begging to be cut and have no impact on anything except the Viagra induced pleasure of some mid level beaurocrat are myriad.

Besides, isn't it fun to see the eye of the hurricane from space?

 

[editec]

I can easily see how a for-profit weather service could become a tool for manipulation.

Those of you who cannot need to think more deeply about who uses and truly depends on weather forevasts.

Wouldn't it be nice, for example, to be one of the insiders who FIRST KNEW that a cold snap was going to decimate the Florida orange crop?

Do you think you could make any money knowing that before anybody else?

No I think having a GOOD national weather service is in the best interests of the public.

 

[strollingbones]

I can easily see how a for-profit weather service could become a tool for manipulation.

Those of you who cannot need to think more deeply about who uses and truly depends on weather forevasts.

Wouldn't it be nice, for example, to be one of the insiders who FIRST KNEW that a cold snap was going to decimate the Florida orange crop?

Do you think you could make any money knowing that before anybody else?

No I think having a GOOD national weather service is in the best interests of the public.

always follow the money

 

[strollingbones]

and consider all the equipment is government owned....i.e. satellites

 

[Avatar9]

I can easily see how a for-profit weather service could become a tool for manipulation.

Those of you who cannot need to think more deeply about who uses and truly depends on weather forevasts.

Wouldn't it be nice, for example, to be one of the insiders who FIRST KNEW that a cold snap was going to decimate the Florida orange crop?

Do you think you could make any money knowing that before anybody else?

No I think having a GOOD national weather service is in the best interests of the public.

You seem to assume the federal agency will necessarily learn about such things before a private company.

Didn't someone post evidence to the contrary earlier?

 

[editec]

I can easily see how a for-profit weather service could become a tool for manipulation.

Those of you who cannot need to think more deeply about who uses and truly depends on weather forevasts.

Wouldn't it be nice, for example, to be one of the insiders who FIRST KNEW that a cold snap was going to decimate the Florida orange crop?

Do you think you could make any money knowing that before anybody else?

No I think having a GOOD national weather service is in the best interests of the public.

You seem to assume the federal agency will necessarily learn about such things before a private company.

No I don't assume that.

What I assume is sans a national weather service the public might NOT be given that information in as timely and accurately a fashion as possible.

I do not doubt that private meteorlogical services can do a good job.

After all, they're MOSTLY using information that is gathered THANKS to the federal governments satillites and stations, of course.

Sans those, the private sector would have to reinvent those stations and satillites.

What is their motivation to GIVE that costly data to everybody else?

 

[JMadison]

Do We Really Need A National Weather Service? | FoxNews.com

Check the last four letters in the URL. Derp.

I can't even grab a couple of paragraphs. I'm laughing too hard.

G'nite, Irene.

Link doesn't work for me.