Repeal? Cut? Shutdown?

[Flanders]

. . . “Romney: I’d cut PBS, Obamacare, arts subsidies,” is running over a Romney interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley. Asked for specific budget cuts, Romney listed “the subsidy for PBS, the subsidy for Amtrak, the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Arts” and “the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

Obamacare has to be repealed. Romney’s comments are a breath of fresh air, but I wish he would have said repeal Obamacare instead saying “cut.” Congressional Republicans appear to be committed to repeal; so let’s say the word “cut” was a slip of the tongue. As to the other “cuts”:

I've Heard That Song Before - Harry James & Helen Forrest (1942) - YouTube

Bush the Younger with a Republican Congress could not stop the PBS subsidy. In the same vain, I don’t know how many times I’ve heard Republicans say they would shutdown the Department of Education. Ronald Reagan wanted to do it and he couldn’t. Still, Romney gets high marks if he is serious about the four he listed. The thing that puzzles me is his avoidance of the world “shutdown.” Let’s face it, “shutdown” is a positive word when you are talking about federal bureaucracies and programs

The fact is: PBS and Amtrak could continue as private sector businesses, while the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities cannot transmute into profit-motive entities because they are federal bureaucracies that produce nothing of value —— their primary financial function is paying bureaucratic salaries and benefits. They either have to be shutdown, or become charities surviving on VOLUNTARY contributions. I don’t see charitable entities in the cards even though donations would be tax deductible. Ultimately, tax deductions are passed onto the backs of all taxpayers. That is no bargain to be sure, but a tax deduction is nowhere near as bad as direct tax dollar funding and subsidies.

PBS can rightly be called an arm of the Department of Education using tax dollars to promote a political philosophy that most Americans do not subscribe to:

In addition to targeting adults with left-wing programming, PBS advertises itself as “America’s largest classroom” through “educational media” which “helps prepare children for success in school and opens up the world to them in an age-appropriate way.”

But Mary Grabar and Tina Trent revealed, in a special report for the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism, that the “educational materials” from public broadcasting are characterized by an “unrelenting ideological slant” with a goal of “re-educating children into becoming far-left activists.”

They explained, “By creating primary materials through programming and reporting and then producing syllabi packaged by age group based on those primary materials, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has evolved into perhaps the single most influential voice in the nation’s classrooms, while defending their own taxpayer funding streams by doing so.”

Their examples included “…lessons that glorify the Black Panthers and riots and protests of the 1960s, present rocker Patti Smith as a ‘patriot’ for singing songs that condemn President George W. Bush, vilify Wal-Mart, and sanctify environmentalist Rachel Carson.”

Romney Wants to End Federal Funding of Public TV
Cliff Kincaid Thursday, August 30, 2012

Romney Wants to End Federal Funding of Public TV

Subsidizing PBS in any amount is no different than tax dollars funding the propaganda efforts of every violent religion, every evil cult, and every crackpot ideology that comes along. If forcing one group to subsidize the political ideology of another group isn’t a violation of the First Amendment there is no logical justification for the first ten words in the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, . . .

I’ll give Romney the benefit of the doubt and assume he will attempt to enforce the First Amendment where others failed. Should he succeed, one can only pray it won’t turn out to be rerun of ACORN’s lost subsidy; i.e., say funding has ended but do not actually stop it.

Parenthetically, Planned Parenthood is another subsidy joke. It’s against the law to pay for abortions with tax dollars, but Planned Parenthood is still getting tens of millions a year.

Finally, I could not have written this message had Michele Bachmann won the nomination. She does not mince words:

Michele Bachmann promises to close EPA and Education Department - Spokane Conservative | Examiner.com

 

[oldfart]

]Bush the Younger with a Republican Congress could not stop the PBS subsidy...The fact is: PBS and Amtrak could continue as private sector businesses.

Mr. Rogers is very disappointed with you. And you have made Big Bird sad. They say you do not remember the bargain you struck in the earlier days of television. Originally an FCC license specified that a certain number of hours a week must be devoted to quality children's programming. That produced syndicated programs like "Romper Room." But when the cereal companies found out how much money they could make pitching chocolate flavored sugar-coated gut bombs to three year olds, they wanted the air time for cartoons and their commercials. So they agreed to help fund PBS and we got the Children's Television Workshop.

I get it. You don't like PBS. As you note, PBS could probably do very well as a non-profit in today's markets with today's technology and I prsonally think that we are a decade past the point where PBS should have told Congress to shove it up their collective asses and just cut PBS loose. And of course the Christian Broadcasting Network and Bill O'Reilly are perfectly free to start right-wing children's programming if they feel the need. We have to give something back to the next generation of Billo clowns.

(T)he National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities cannot transmute into profit-motive entities...They either have to be shutdown, or become charities surviving on VOLUNTARY contributions.

I agree that all arts and humanities programs could be shifted to public non-profits. Let the rich pay for their own ballet, even if they get a tax deduction for it. All of this is a miniscule drop in the budgetary bucket. How do you feel about cuts in the corporate pork? Do we really need to subsidize advertising overseas for American exports, for example?

Jamie

 

[Flanders]

oldfart;5908455

Mr. Rogers is very disappointed with you. And you have made Big Bird sad. They say you do not remember the bargain you struck in the earlier days of television.

To oldfart: I did not strike a bargain with anyone. Ditto tens of millions of Americans like me who thought a government television network was a bad idea. At the time, everybody with an ounce of brains knew tax dollars would fund the Left’s propaganda.

oldfart;5908455

Originally an FCC license specified that a certain number of hours a week must be devoted to quality children's programming.

To oldfart: Let’s all genuflect. Here comes the children! Whenever liberal parasites see one of their seats at the public trough threatened they save the children —— except when they want to slaughter children in the womb. Then it’s the mothers they are concerned about. I’ll go out on a limb here and say you are a liberal.

As to quality programming I repeat:

PBS can rightly be called an arm of the Department of Education using tax dollars to promote a political philosophy that most Americans do not subscribe to:

In addition to targeting adults with left-wing programming, PBS advertises itself as “America’s largest classroom” through “educational media” which “helps prepare children for success in school and opens up the world to them in an age-appropriate way.”​

But Mary Grabar and Tina Trent revealed, in a special report for the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism, that the “educational materials” from public broadcasting are characterized by an “unrelenting ideological slant” with a goal of “re-educating children into becoming far-left activists.”

They explained, “By creating primary materials through programming and reporting and then producing syllabi packaged by age group based on those primary materials, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has evolved into perhaps the single most influential voice in the nation’s classrooms, while defending their own taxpayer funding streams by doing so.”

Their examples included “…lessons that glorify the Black Panthers and riots and protests of the 1960s, present rocker Patti Smith as a ‘patriot’ for singing songs that condemn President George W. Bush, vilify Wal-Mart, and sanctify environmentalist Rachel Carson.”​

oldfart;5908455

That produced syndicated programs like "Romper Room." But when the cereal companies found out how much money they could make pitching chocolate flavored sugar-coated gut bombs to three year olds, they wanted the air time for cartoons and their commercials. So they agreed to help fund PBS and we got the Children's Television Workshop.

To oldfart: Parents buy cereals not three year olds.

And you neglected to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars made by the owners marketing toys, books, and games based on the characters in programs. The owners pocket those millions thanks to free advertising, or to be more precise tax dollars pay for the advertising in part and the owners walk away with pure profits.

oldfart;5908455

I get it. You don't like PBS.

To oldfart: What tipped you off?

oldfart;5908455

As you note, PBS could probably do very well as a non-profit in today's markets with today's technology and I prsonally think that we are a decade past the point where PBS should have told Congress to shove it up their collective asses and just cut PBS loose.

To oldfart: I did not say non-profits. I said “PBS and Amtrak could continue as private sector businesses, . . .”.

oldfart;5908455

And of course the Christian Broadcasting Network and Bill O'Reilly are perfectly free to start right-wing children's programming if they feel the need. We have to give something back to the next generation of Billo clowns.

To oldfart: I’m no fan of Bill O’Reilly, but if you want to be critical of him you should look into Bill Moyers and some of the PBS steadies. Moyers became a multimillionaire off of Public Television. If I remember correctly it is a family business. His son did well, too.

oldfart;5908455

I agree that all arts and humanities programs could be shifted to public non-profits.

To oldfart: Nice try. It is the bureaucracies that have to be shutdown. Then let the programs find sponsors in the marketplace.

oldfart;5908455

Let the rich pay for their own ballet, even if they get a tax deduction for it. All of this is a miniscule drop in the budgetary bucket.

To oldfart: If it is so miniscule why does the Corporation for Public Broadcasting lobby so hard to hang onto it?

oldfart;5908455

How do you feel about cuts in the corporate pork? Do we really need to subsidize advertising overseas for American exports, for example?

To oldfart: Let’s cut to the chase. Tax dollars should only be used for the operation of necessary government. I’ll assume you know what constitutes necessary government. If not, here’s a clue: If it is not clearly enumerated in the Constitution it is not necessary OR CONSTITUTIONAL.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

How do you feel about cuts in the corporate pork? Do we really need to subsidize advertising overseas for American exports, for example?

Jamie

its too trivial to think about!! The cuts need to be in the fast growing and huge welfare entitlements the liberals use to buy votes and subvert our democracy!!

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
-Benjamin Franklin

 

[Flanders]

How do you feel about cuts in the corporate pork? Do we really need to subsidize advertising overseas for American exports, for example?

Jamie

its too trivial to think about!! The cuts need to be in the fast growing and huge welfare entitlements the liberals use to buy votes and subvert our democracy!!

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
-Benjamin Franklin

To EdwardBaiamonte: Shortcut: Repeal the XVI Amendment.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

How do you feel about cuts in the corporate pork? Do we really need to subsidize advertising overseas for American exports, for example?

Jamie

its too trivial to think about!! The cuts need to be in the fast growing and huge welfare entitlements the liberals use to buy votes and subvert our democracy!!

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
-Benjamin Franklin

To EdwardBaiamonte: Shortcut: Repeal the XVI Amendment.

I'd be ok with that too!!!!!

 

[Flanders]

Somewhere in the past day or so I heard FOX’s Bret Hume say he did not know why Romney hasn’t broken out yet, or words to that effect. Far be it from me to advise Mr. Hume, but he might listen to educator Charlotte Cushman:

On September 9, 2012 Romney stated on Meet the Press "I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place."

But, but I thought he said he would repeal Obamacare. Didn't he?

September 10, 2012
Romney and Obamacare
Charlotte Cushman

Blog: Romney and Obamacare

 

[Wiseacre]

We don't have the money. The democrats cooked the numbers to make it look better, but the fact is that we don't have the money. If the ACA stands now, we will be runnng up debt and asking future generations to pay for it. This will be the first time in our nation's history that one generation has left debts of this magnitude for their children and grandchildren to pay. There's no greater immorality to me than that.

 

[Freemason9]

We don't have the money. The democrats cooked the numbers to make it look better, but the fact is that we don't have the money. If the ACA stands now, we will be runnng up debt and asking future generations to pay for it. This will be the first time in our nation's history that one generation has left debts of this magnitude for their children and grandchildren to pay. There's no greater immorality to me than that.

Don't give me that crap. We spend nearly a trillion per year in the name of "defense," and I don't see any right wing extremists tripping over themselves to save money THERE.

Until some right wing troll suggests at least a 25% cut in defense spending, this is just tripe. There is no crebility to your argument.

 

[Wiseacre]

We don't have the money. The democrats cooked the numbers to make it look better, but the fact is that we don't have the money. If the ACA stands now, we will be runnng up debt and asking future generations to pay for it. This will be the first time in our nation's history that one generation has left debts of this magnitude for their children and grandchildren to pay. There's no greater immorality to me than that.

Don't give me that crap. We spend nearly a trillion per year in the name of "defense," and I don't see any right wing extremists tripping over themselves to save money THERE.

Until some right wing troll suggests at least a 25% cut in defense spending, this is just tripe. There is no crebility to your argument.

Not much cred in your argument either. First off, the defense budget isn't close to a trillion dollars, it's closer to 700 billion. And the DoD has already begun making spending cuts. BTW, I don't see many democrats who are willing to have defense spending cuts when it affects their districts or states. So spare me the hypocritical bullshit, not many dems are actually willing to cut defense and risk explaining their lack of support for the troops.

25%? Have you lost your fucking mind? Do you have any idea how many jobs would be lost if a cut that big actually happened, to say nothing of our inability to honor our treaty commitments and meet national security needs? It is your nonsense that is tripe.

 

[Greenbeard]

Somewhere in the past day or so I heard FOX’s Bret Hume say he did not know why Romney hasn’t broken out yet, or words to that effect. Far be it from me to advise Mr. Hume, but he might listen to educator Charlotte Cushman:

On September 9, 2012 Romney stated on Meet the Press "I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place."

But, but I thought he said he would repeal Obamacare. Didn't he?

September 10, 2012
Romney and Obamacare
Charlotte Cushman

Blog: Romney and Obamacare

Silly article. How is there anyone out there who thinks Romney is in principle opposed to regulating insurance markets or pursuing universal health insurance coverage?

This is Mitt Romney. The guy literally has a copy of his universal health care law featured in his gubernatorial portrait (the little leather binder with the medical seal sitting next to him on the table):

If there are folks out there who think this guy is philosophically opposed to these kinds of health reforms, they might want to read his Wiki page to find out who he is. Especially the parts circa 2006.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

. . . “Romney: I’d cut PBS, Obamacare, arts subsidies,” is running over a Romney interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley. Asked for specific budget cuts, Romney listed “the subsidy for PBS, the subsidy for Amtrak, the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Arts” and “the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

Yet another good reason not to vote for Romney – he’d usher in the new age of the troglodytes.

Obamacare has to be repealed.

Only if the ACA is replaced with a single payer system, such as Medicare for all. Otherwise it needs to be retained until such time as the political will and intelligence exists to enact Medicare for all.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

the political will and intelligence exists to enact Medicare for all.

actually before we provide give free health care for all we must give free food, clothing, and shelter since they are more basic and important!!

See why we are postive a liberal will be slow?