Friday, January 9, 2009

Unemployment the big issue? The Economy? Nope. TV!


Well I'm sure you all know about the big switch to digital tv, right? And you all know how the government instituted this switch, right? And you know how it works: you fill out a form online and get two $40 off coupons to buy the converter boxes needed for analog tv's to receive digital signals, right? Well, the government is out of money and can no longer supply said $40 coupons.





Well, in like Superman, or a messiah, comes President Select Obama and his transition team to urge Congress to postpone the February 17 switch.

Why?

Because many Americans wont be ready. Emphasis and comments are mine.
From FoxNews
In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta noted that the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers.

People who don't have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.

"With coupons unavailable,(boo-hoo) support and education insufficient, (how much support do you need to get a coupon and go buy the thing? My one year old could, with a tad of prompting, figure this out. And education? Buy the freaking thing and hook it up per the instuctions which I'm sure comes in 7 different languages.) and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, (the most vulnerable Americans? I can only assume that he means the unborn. The unborn need digital tv converters before they are aborted?) I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively mandated analog cutoff date," Podesta wrote.

"We are extremely pleased the incoming administration is supportive of consumer efforts to ensure that the poor, elderly and rural consumers do not face economic hardship ( Give me a break! Are they saying that even poor people, who knew this was coming for a year or more, could'nt manage to save up 44 bucks to buy one? And buying one now would cause economic hardship?) as we move broadcasting to digital transmission," said Gene Kimmelman, the Consumer Union's vice president for federal policy.

In his letter, Podesta said government funding for both the coupon program and educational efforts for consumers is "woefully inadequate." (You know who's woefully inadequate? Barack Hussein Obama.)He said Obama plans to include resources to help consumers through the digital transition in the economic recovery package now being developed with Congress. (I would love a new Xbox or Wii. I hope your taxes will buy one for me as well. A new surround sound system would be good as well. Cuz I have to be entertained.)

(Let me continue on with this because I would like any member of Congress to show me where in the Constitution it says that Congress has the power to decide if tv broadcasts on analog or digital, and that it then has the right to take 1.5 million tax dollars to pay to hand out converters to the population.

This seems to be another time when the government has overstepped their legal boundaries, which they do on a daily basis. Where are the checks and balances our Constitution requires?

Ok enough going on about the parasites in DC.)

1 comment:

Christian said...

Well, I am a bit ambivalent about the whole program now, and I confess to having had many of the same attitudes you have about the giveaway of converter boxes.

But,
The Spectrum assigned to Television by the government spawned a whole, huge industry. AS we know. Now, the actions of the government in switching the spectrum to one that obsoletes everyone's TV tuner turns into a de-facto Tax on all those who cannot or would not purchase a new $700 television. I.E. If you want to watch Television, an action of the government is requiring you to spend moeny to do so, that you would not ordinarily have to do under normal circumstances.

I happen to bring communion to an 80 year old man who lives alone in a hodge-podge house that needs more basic maintenance than you can shake a stick at. In fact, don't shake that stick or the whole thing may come down.

He has very bad arthrits and doesn't get out of the house at all in winter. His family lives out of the area, most of his friends are long dead. I'm probably the only person he speaks to or sees some weeks. This guy has a TV with rabbit ears on it, and is totally unprepared for the change. Yes he has the money, but prefers to keep it in reserve in case his heaters fail. I asked him if he applied for the coupon, and he gives some cryptic story about why he hasn't or won't.

I can't sit by and watch one of the few diversions be taken away from this guy due to a govenrment 'tax', so I applied for the coupon, and I got one of the converters for him. Yes, I can afford the box myself, but darn it-- we accept government tax rebates and reductions for other reasons. Why not this?

I'm just saying that the view is a bit different when you put a human face on every issue that comes by.