Rick passes along this story about the fight over financing of the Coalition for Public Broadcasting (Bug Me Not):
After a storm of protest from supporters of public television and radio, the House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to restore $100 million in programming money to next year’s Corporation for Public Broadcasting budget. The CPB is the private agency that disburses funds to the Public Broadcasting System, National Public Radio and their member stations.
At the same, however, $105 million in funding, including $23 million for children’s programming and educational outreach, was eliminated. The fight over that money will now move to the Senate, which has traditionally been a strong backer of PBS and NPR.
“This is certainly a significant victory, but it’s just phase one of a multi-phase effort to restore funds that were cut,” said Jeff Clarke, president and chief executive of KQED.
Rick notes:
The conundrum of restraining runaway discretionary spending: big budget spending (Medicare) has too large a constituency, while smaller budget items, for which no Constitutional imperitive exists (CPB), as a smaller, but noisy and powerful constituency. So nothing changes.
We can’t pick even the low-hanging fruit.
A depressing and astute observation if there ever was one, and simply an elegant re-wording of the old problem with budgeting- everyone claims to want fiscal restraint, but no one wants their ox gored. We see this debate over and over and over again- people loudly say they want a balanced budget, but when you ask them what they would cut, an eery silence takes over.
Also, Frank Rich has this apocalyptic piece on what he believes are the insidious efforts of the GOP to ‘pervert’ PBS and NPR.
So, the ball is in your court: Where should we start the necessary cutting? What should go? What should stay. Have at it.
BTW- I remember there being a web site that allowed people to do their own budget for the government, but I forget the url.
ppgaz
It’s my opinion that the government should not be in the broadcasting business, under any scheme or pretext.
While CPB has certainly done a lot of good work over the years, but it is clear, even if you ignore half of Rich’s column and just go with the facts and cull the rhetoric, that the thing is becoming more and more politicized. This is bad, regardless of political stripe. What’s bad for the goose is bad for the other goose.
If the type of programming that CPB does is not sustainable through private funding, then I say, shut it down.
Darrell
I’ve got bad news for you ppgaz, I agree with your comment 100%. Well said. You’re asking for trouble putting the government in the broadcasting business.
Decided Fence Sitter
Except ppgaz, the only places that do investigative reporting of any type it seems any more are state-sponsored news stations. Everything else is too focused on “Jackson-ized” stories of the latest run-away bride, freak super-star, or overly pretty billionaire daughter.
Private industry caters to what makes it to money. I’d say that what we need to do is fund it, and leave it alone. If it needs political oversight for some reason, throw 6 of each party, no tie-breaking vote, and for any change demand a 75% majority (8 of the 12, or 2 defectors on a straight partyline vote), otherwise the status quo remains.
Stormy70
The government should not be funding anything, but national defense, and anything that could be used for national defense in the future, ie space travel, medical research, etc.
Agree with ppqaz and Darrell, I do. Feel the love.
Darrell
FenceSitter reveals his anti-capitalist, socialist colors:
Except ppgaz, the only places that do investigative reporting of any type it seems any more are state-sponsored news stations.
Name for us then FenceSitter, the blockbusting investigative stories cracked open by public radio or public TV in the past, say 10 years or so? 15 years?
ppgaz
Oh no. I’m ruined, washed up here. Darrell, you really know how to hurt a guy. I never saw this coming. Agreement.
Okay, just kidding. I’m glad we agree. Fact is, I am a proponent of lightweight, unobtrusive government to the greatest possible extent. No ideology is perfect, including mine. Somebody has to write the SS checks, and unless government does it, I don’t know how you proceed. But I digress.
Social liberal, almost Libertarian. That’s me. Fiscal conservative, that’s me. Lightweight government, lots of liberty, that’s me. Keep government out of broadcasting, even if that means turning off liberals’ favorite channel. Keep government out of religion, and vice versa. Apple pie, and baseball. Mom. I am for all the good things.
I think that the outfield assist, the great throw from the outfield to a base or to the plate, is the greatest thing in sports. Seriously. And God Bless America.
Darrell, you are okay, even if I am the only one who says so ;-)
Rick
With the rise of cable news, and now blogging, “investigative reporting” is well covered. PBS and NPR stations will still be funded–though indirectly–via “tax expenditures.”
That is, viewer/listener support will remain tax deductible (though I’d certainly like to close that loophole).
Other sacred cows are equally famous: AMTRAK life-support, enthanol subsidis. Shoot, subsidies of any kind. Government payments for corporate marketing overseas.
Specks in the great constellation of things, but if you have no will to pull the crabgrass, how are you going to find it to clear the deadwood timber.
Cordially…
demimondian
Ten years ago, when the 1994 Congress came into session, it was a lot more important to preserve PBS and NPR than it is now. There really were no places where dissenting voices could get heard. That’s reasonable: the mainstream media needed to represent the mainstream, and dissent, both on the left and the right, is, by definition, not mainstream opinion.
However, because there was no alternative, there was a steady pressure on the MSM to cover all the issues. One of the sources of the pressure was public broadcasting through PBS and NPR, with analysis shows on the left, right, and center. That was a good, and, I put it, necessary, thing: where else could Buckley or the other NR editors have had widely watched shows?
The media landscape has changed since then, though. The Downing Street Minutes were kept alive by left-wing blogs; NPR is busily trying to kill them. The Lewinsky affair was kept alive by Drudge; the networks didn’t like it.
So, now, I’m not so sure that there’s a need to NPR and PBS to be kept around as low-barrier news sources. They’ve served their purpose; maybe it’s time to let them go.
carpeicthus
Stop the missle defense lunacy. If we’re sticking to this level, I guess that’s all that’s needed, since it’s orders of magnitude more money straight into the toilet.
Tim F
No-brainer. The Bush tax cuts got us into this mess. Since they’re obviously not doing much for ordinary Americans or stimulating the economy, they should be the first to go.
Tim F
Here come the ‘ordinary Americans’ brandishing their Bush tax refunds. Yep, you saved some cash up front. Now guess how much taht debt is costing the country per American? Unless you’re nearly a millionaire, a lot more than those tax cuts saved you.
Darrell
The Bush tax cuts got us into this mess. Since they’re obviously not doing much for ordinary Americans or stimulating the economy, they should be the first to go.
Employment is at record levels, at or beyond even the inflated tech bubble + corporate scam era. Home ownership and housing are booming like never before. Corporate profits and incomes are rising sharply. Given these realities, and they are realities, please share with us your ‘logic’ how the tax cuts “obviously” are not stimulating the economy. To some extent I can see the argument on the deficit, but to claim tax cuts have not stimulated the economy..that explanation I would like to hear. Or were simply mouthing something that you heard someone else say?
Aaron
Shut down PBS?!?!
Where will I watch Fawlty Towers, Sesame Street, and Dr. Who?
Though seriously, with modern cable TV, PBS has less of a reason to live.
Top pick for budget cut: High School Guidance Counselors.
John Cole
Since no one is addressing their budgeting priorities, let me add my own 2 cewnts on PBS and NPR.
I love them. All I listen to is AM talk radio and NPR, and I was a dj for 7 years and can say from my perspective, no one does radio with the consistent quality that NPR does.
And Frontline and NOVA are unparalleled in their quality, despite their slant.
Having said that, I see no reason why they could not be financially independent.
demimondian
But, John, we have two choices: we can agree with one another (PBS and NPR are wonderful, but could now be independent), or we could talk about important things. Which do you want?
Truth is, I look back at Bush I and Clinton to know the answer to your question. (1) Raise taxes, and (2) work to reduce the price of oil. The whole “supply side” canard was refuted by the Bush I/Clinton prosperity; instead, looking at what the Reagan and Clinton years had in common, it’s clear that controlling the price of oil — or, at least, reducing the amount of that price which leaves the economy — is key to strong economic growth.
Sojourner
Um, Darrell, unemployment is still above 5% which is higher than during the Clinton era.
ppgaz
Fence … yes. But a lot of corporate funding already goes into CPB programming. And remember the old Xerox series of specials? The corporations can be cajoled (or shamed or whatever) into coughing up money. And then there are the charitable trusts. And let’s face it, the liberal establishment has ties to money. If there is room for some of the goofy cable channels we have now, surely there is room for a progressive cable channel with quality programming, which the gummint types can keep their greasy paws away from, thank you very much. Eh?
Also on the Silver Lining front, new avenues of distribution are on the horizon, or closer. Netflix is an interesting model. It would work for content other than movies and reruns of old sitcoms. More and more satellite bandwidth is available. The subscriber model is working, slowly but surely, for satellite radio. XM has effective repeaters in more and more metro areas, permitting easy reception indoors. I listen to mine at work …. in the basement of a very, very large building. No problemo, plenty of signal.
CPB was inventied, I think, as a foil to the old-time “major networks.” I think their moment in the sun has passed. Time to think outside the old box.
Kimmitt
Employment is at record levels,
Okay, this is the dumbest statement ever. The US enjoys approximately 1% population growth a year. Even if the economy is sputtering badly, we would expect employment to be at record levels. The fact that Bush just barely missed being the first President since Hoover to preside over a net job loss (and that only because he massively increased the number of Federal employees) is just sad.
Anyways, here are the numbers:
January 2001 (numbers in thousands):
Civilian labor force: 141,955
Employment: 135,999
Nonfarm employment: 132,129
Government: 20,468
May 2005
Civilian labor force: 149,122
Employment: 141,475
Nonfarm employment: 133,347
Government: 21,749
If you account for the fact that a lot more people work on farms in May than January, you’ll note that we’ve enjoyed 1,218,000 new jobs over the past five years, 1,281,000 of which have been with the government. That’s right — the only reason we have any more jobs now than we had four and a half years ago is because Bush made the government bigger.
This doesn’t even take into account the over 7,000,000 net new workers that have entered the labor force.
Kimmitt
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, here and here.
Rick
Ummm…Sojourner–you’re being loose like Karl Rove in your characterization. Please see the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract (latest) here. Specifically, table 569. The current unemployment rate is about the average for the Clinton presidency. Better than the first term’s (Clinton inherited an economy just being to pick up after a recession, while Dubya got the other end of the business cycle, then the 9/11 dislocation of grounded air travel), and certainly trailing Clinton’s second term.
Cordially…
Kimmitt
The unemployment rate is the same as the average, but the labor force participation rate is way down; nobody really understands why. If anyone says they understand why, they’re pretty much trying to snow you.
(BLS has the stats.)
Rick
Yeah, but the Census site has way more info on all manner of stuff.
Cordially…
Nash
Rick, isn’t it true that on the scale of cubic feet of hot air to dollars saved, the CPB debate runs rather high? I agree, it’s low hanging fruit, chop it off.
Then, for intellectual honesty and so no one could possibly accuse you of having an agenda that has zero to do with saving tax dollars, promise to spend the same ratio of energy and hot air to savings on the next target.
Sojourner
It was my impression that this reflects the significant number of people who have given up looking for a job.
The reality is that the number of jobs lost under Bush have yet to be recovered.
Kimmitt
It was my impression that this reflects the significant number of people who have given up looking for a job.
Maybe. And maybe it represents Baby Boomers retiring early. And maybe it represents a cultural shift back toward one-earner familiies. And maybe it represents a shift to black-market activities. And maybe it represents kids putting off entry into the workforce through extended education. Or a little from Column A, and a little from Column C. We really don’t know.
Rick
Nash,
It there a concensus “next target?” At 11:45 a.m., I expended some balloon juice on some targets.
Let’s play congressional committee chairman and start snipping.
Cordially…
Stormy70
Or some like me who decided to become self-employed so I could work less hours, and still make some money. Lots of my girlfriends are leaving the workforce to stay home with their children. Lots of Gen X and Y women want to stay home now with their kids, because they missed it growing up in broken homes. I am speaking anecdotally, but I beleive this is a nationwide trend.
Rick
Stormy and Kimmitt,
Excellent and correct points. For decades, it was a relatively simple thing to track payroll data and arrive at an unemployment figure based on the size of the workforce/working age population.
This here computer age thing–among other developments– is enabling more home based enterprizes, say, in the fields of consulting, or free-lance writing for manuals and such.
I believe John Cole hisownself noted some days ago that along the lines of what he is doing.
Cordially…
Jimmy Jazz
Given the billion dollars a day we’re spending in Iraq to create more terrorists, I can really see why principled conservatives want to kill the $100 million for Sesame Street.
Or not.
John Cole
BTW- I reworded the following:
Also, Frank Rich has this apocalyptic piece on the insidious efforts of the GOP to ‘pervert’ PBS and NPR.
to
Also, Frank Rich has this apocalyptic piece on what he believes are the insidious efforts of the GOP to ‘pervert’ PBS and NPR.
The former did not accurately represent my position.
brenda
Minnesota Public Radio had a “budget calculator” but that was just for the state, not washington.
I see nothing wrong with public radio or TV. It’s about the only thing our government has done right. And that is only because they set up firewalls to keep the politians out. I only wish they did more things that way.
I just don’t see anything wrong with the government doing something that makes it’s citizens lives a little better. I kinda thought that was the point of having one. It seems to me that countries that take care of their citizens are doing ok and those that don’t are circling the toliet bowl. Might be a lesson in there somewhere.
Sojourner
And all of these folks suddenly decided to stay home with their babies over the last 5 years? Not likely. The reality is that particular trend has been going on for over a decade. A whole bunch of people have disappeared off of the payrolls and it’s not clear where they went. Maybe they retired early but given the cost and difficulty of obtaining health insurance, that’s not too likely either.
Rick
Given the billion dollars a day we’re spending in Iraq to create more terrorists…
jazz,
Har! Please avail yourself of the Census link, Google, or Brenda’s NPR caluclator to re-crunch your numbers.
I just don’t see anything wrong with the government doing something that makes it’s citizens lives a little better.
Brenda,
Might you consider it sufficient that the government permits contributions to these enterprizes to be tax deductable, or is direct (well, via the CPB laundering op) required? As one Congresscritter pointed out in a much, much earlier effort to rid the taxpayer of this bauble, why not establish National Public Rodeo, to bring those gifts to the common folk? Or the Public Bowling System.
The point is, no need to pay for redundancy.
Cordially…
p.lukasiak
1) Federal highway funding.
2) Star wars
3) War in Iraq.
4) as much of the debt service as possible.
number 4, of course, requires us to not merely balance the budget, but to start paying off the national debt, by raising taxes.
Jeff
p.lukasiak–
and #1 is the main reason we have a drinking age of 21 in the states, as that was used as the blunt object for the small govt. Reagan to use in forcing states to conform.
Seems that highway funding has done a lot for govt. intrusion, allowing policy to be dictated by MADD, and setting the precedent for various search and seizures.
Good times…and why are we paying for Star Wars? I kinda miss the Monroe Doctrine.
Stormy70
National Defense is all the Government should be funding, and the income tax should be abolished.
sidereal
“but I forget the url”
Enjoy
sidereal
“but I forget the url”
Enjoy
sidereal
Whoops. On preview, the comment form claimed it failed. Both times. I blame gnomes.
brenda
Hey Rick
Well, a rodeo isn’t quite the same as Frontline. The whole point when the CPB was created was to fund those things that had value but were not commercially successfull. I seem to remember William F Buckly on PBS. He didn’t have a problem with being there. And I don’t think his show, even today, would last 5 min anywhere else than PBS. What we get on commercial TV is Crossfire. “Jane you ignorant slut.” is how it began and pretty much where it stayed, right in the gutter. To me that seems like an easy choice.
After all, aren’t governments supposed to “provide for the common good?” And isn’t it true that when governments create a free and open environment, like the internet, like an industrial park, like certain tax structures, isn’t that exactly when creativity and inovation flourish? And as a result of all that activity don’t countless industries spin off creating even more inovative products and services and adding to the general good?
Now, you believe differently, that’s ok. But my position is equally valid, just different. It’s my belief that the policies you appear to advocate will stifle inovation. That taken to it’s logical end will lead to a dull grey meaningless existance for everyone.
Rick
While the broadcast medium may still be a vast wasteland, it is far from dull grey, with all the options now available that were scarcely dreamed of.
The Federal government is supposed to be limited; state and local governments can be as stingy or profligate as it suits them, and the citizens to which they are accountable.
I don’t know what great advances to modern living can be traced to public broadcasting, but Big Bird is Big Business, and should pay the “fair share” of taxes due such an enterprise. And not be subsidised by the Feds.
No, public broadcasting would likely retain its tax exemption and deductability (there goes the fair share), but it would survive without appropriated money.
Frontline’s edge over rodeo is not a proper opinion call for national government to make. Neither meets a true “need,” just the appetites of limited constituencies.
Cordially…
Sojourner
I agree. Screw the poor folks whose kids learn the alphabet from Big Bird. If they can’t afford cable, they don’t deserve to learn.
Rick
More to the point, screw taxpayer funding for a cash cow like Big Bird. It can stand on it’s own, two chicken-feet.
You don’t think PBS and NPR could raise the contributions and grant monies to go independent of Congress? Little faith, my Sojourner.
Cordially…
Kimmitt
Or some like me who decided to become self-employed so I could work less hours, and still make some money.
Unless you aren’t paying taxes (don’t answer that), you count as self-employed in these counts.
brenda
“While the broadcast medium may still be a vast wasteland, it is far from dull grey, with all the options now available that were scarcely dreamed of.”
So it’s a colorful wasteland? Is that supposed to be a good thing? I don’t watch TV any more, a little here and there but I just can’t stomach it any more. I have better things to do with my life. 150 cannels of shit, but hey! it’s colorfull shit!
Besides, I stand by my original argument, that one function of a government is to create the conditions in which creativity and innovation can flourish. In it’s day, Sesame Street was incredibly innovative, the muppets were spun off the make a commercially sucessfull TV show and several movies. The muppets were on the first few shows of Saturday Night Live. All commercial successes. And thats just one PBS show.
And your point is………..what?