Cuts to PBS funding

Couple things wrong with this article, Bush seeks to slash public broadcast funds.

In the president's 2007 budget request, funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be cut by $53.5 million in 2007 and $50 million more in 2008. Those cuts don't reflect others made in funding at the Education and Commerce departments and the elimination of specific programs for digital TV conversion and satellite delivery system. Public broadcasting officials estimate that the entire budget cuts run $157 million over the two-year period.

First problem with the article is that the entire PBS budget wasn't eliminated. Regardless of whether you think PBS content is good or bad, there is no denying the fact that there is no need for the federal government to be in the TV business. There is no shortage of children's television choices today.

Second problem with this article is the statement of fact that congress won't have the cajones to support killing this unnecessary expenditure.

Last year, an overwhelming majority in Congress voted to restore cuts proposed by the administration. This year, those cuts go even deeper, and it could be more difficult to win the fight in Congress

Here is a comment from one congressman:

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass said, "In a world of fast-and-furious television with ratings-driven content, the public broadcasting system represents the last stronghold of quality child-oriented programming -- we owe this to America's children."

No, congressman. You don't owe children crappy television. What you do owe today's children is a good faith effort to curtail wasteful spending so they don't inherent the bill for your largesse.

Let the free market decide if Big Bird survives.