Once again, conservatives are calling for the government to cut off funding for PBS and NPR.
"It's a waste of the taxpayers' money!" they cry. "If it was any good it would pay for itself."
But that's not exactly how congress looks at everything. If you pay enough in campaign contributions, you can get help for any business.
Congress is all set to approve a $300 billion farm bill. In there are $5 billion in direct payouts to farmers to basically not plant anything.
What these guys would have you believe is this dough is going to some guy who lives down a dirt road, wears bib overalls and has a chicken under one arm.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The big bucks are going to guys in suits in the board room. The richest 10 percent of corporate farms will pocket 60 percent of the cash.
According to Environmental Working Group, the Rio Grande Valley received more than $573 million in farm subsidies during the period from 1995 to 2007. That's compared to less than $12 million to local public broadcasting during that same period.
Like the oil companies, grain, soybean and cotton farmers earned record profits last year, despite skyrocketing costs for fuel, fertilizer and seed.
"Though net farm income reached a record level of $88.7 billion in 2007, propelled by high market prices for major crops, Washington still sent out more than $5 billion of taxpayers' money in "direct payment" farm subsidies to more than 1.4 million recipients," said Ken Cook, president of EWG.
Acording to EWG figures, farm income exceeded $84,000 per household on average in 2007, compared to a 2006 average for all U.S. households of $66,000.
EWG is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization decicated to protecting the environment and public health.
The most heavily subsidized crops are corn, wheat and cotton. But the grandaddy of all corporate welfare is sugar. Our government has been helping prop up the price of sugar since 1816.
Buddy, if you can't make money on a crop after almost 200 years, maybe it's time to try asparagus.
While these guys are crying to Congress that they can't make it (careful there, son, your tears may make the ink run on that check) let's talk about the money that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting gets from Congress: approximately $400 million per year.
That works out to less than $1.50 per citizen per year. It's less than a cup of mocha frappe soy milk latte or whatever it is that coffee junkies buy.
What do we get for our buck and a half? Lots of kids learn to read and count watching "Sesame Street." The mornings and afternoons are filled with educational shows for use in classrooms.
Primetime PBS is a feast for the senses with shows like "Nova," "Nature," "Austin City Limits," "Masterpiece Theatre," "Mystery," and Ken Burns' documentaries such as "The Civil War," "Baseball" and "Jazz."
Sounds like a pretty good deal for $1.50 or less than half a cent per day.
A local millionaire pointed out that since he pays a lot more in taxes than me, his share is a lot more than $1.50.
Let's say his share is more like $50 a year due to his income. What if once a year the family cooked burgers on the grill instead of steak and said, "Tonight we're helping some kid learn to read."
Some use the excuse that other networks will make those programs if PBS folds. Really? Other networks are busy planning shows like the new "Hurl," a reality program based on making people vomit on camera.
"OK honey, at 7 p.m. it's ‘Hurl' followed by the Metropolitan Opera's musical version of ‘Babette's Feast.' Get the popcorn and an extra bowl just in case."
Unlike a lot of government spending which intended to make the rich richer, public broadcasting is a great use of our tax dollars and a bargain to boot.
But let's face it, there are two real reasons they want to cut off the funds.
Shows like PBS' "Frontline" keep doing episodes on government corruption and corporate scams. Their documentary on the wholeTom DeLay/lobbyist scandal must have really hurt.
Also, Elmo may be cute but he doesn't have a checkbook. If he and Cookie Monster could come up with some serious dough-re-mi for campaign contributions they might have a more secure future.
