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Sunday, September 20, 2009

ROBERT HALE: GOVERNMENT - “PEOPLE YOU CAN’T VOTE WITH YOUR POCKETBOOK”!

Speaking to editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade on Sunday October 20 President Obama said, “I haven’t seen detailed proposals yet, but I’ll be happy to look at them.” He was responding to newspaper editors looking for bail-outs or tax breaks. The President acknowledged his interest in subsidizing newspapers unable to deal with readers buying their papers. S.673 titled, “Newspaper Revitalization Act” was introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and co-sponsor Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). S.673 would give news organizations tax deals if they restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations – i.e. non-profits. So what? The press is a critical institution in our political system. Making them 501(c)(3)s effectively takes them out of the political reporting/commentary business. For those who don’t know, 501(c)(3)’s are not permitted to spend more than a small fraction of their income on political speech and are strictly regulated when it comes to expressing opinions on political issues. Those with such designations are given tax breaks and along with it come government controls - so much for a free press. Why are these news organizations are in need of “bailouts” or “tax exemptions”? According to the bill’s sponsor it’s because of the economic downturn and dwindling ad revenues. It’s also because of dramatic drops in subscriptions. Ad revenues follow subscriptions. When people chose not to subscribe to a paper it’s because they don’t believe they are getting value. This is the essence of a free market. If the producer isn’t producing what people want or fail to do it inefficiently they go out of business. However, under the predominating thinking of congress and this administration certain entities are given your money and mine to continue when the market says otherwise. This is especially the case where political capital being purchased. Subsidies or tax breaks to news organizations will effectively destroy their objectivity, their ability to report as they see fit and subject them to pressure to not offend the one providing the goodies. Obama said, “I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding.” Apparently there is thinking in congress and the administration that directing taxpayer dollars to news organizations will ensure fact-checking, putting stories in context and proper opinions. The fact the President comforted these editors with his assurance that he is “happy to look at” steps to subsidize their faltering businesses should frighten us all. A statesman would have made it clear that those coming hat in hand seeking taxpayer funded bailouts the answer was - NO. Instead the President give these beggars credibility. Will taxpayers ever say, “Enough!”? For those who believe, with government money, controls don’t come - beware. The financial industry and auto industry have learned the hard way. Freedom of the press is at risk. If these organizations take taxpayer money the bureaucratic offices of government will direct what they do and say. There will certainly be another Czar to oversee such a program. For those who wish to see the outcome read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” or Ayn Rand’s, “Atlas Shrugged”. Better yet, look at Russia, Iran, Columbia and Venezuela. What is happening, with these “bailouts” is a hopeless attempt to sustain a status quo that is no longer sustainable. The only certain outcome is the waste of billions of taxpayer dollars and lowering the standard of living of hardworking Americans for naught. While it’s difficult to adjust to changing markets, tastes and consumers no longer wanting your product – government subsidies cause far more harm than good. The sooner organizations adopt and change the sooner everyone will be better off. Bills such as the “Newspaper Revitalization Act” are nothing more than a veiled attempt to put control of newspapers in the hands of a politically motivated bureaucracy. All the rhetoric to the contrary is just that - rhetoric. There is nothing “researched”, objections to it need no “context” to be understood and “opinions” supporting it distain freedom of the press. Will our “new – bailout government” let businesses fail and permit people to vote with their pocketbooks? Or, will we again be taxed to support those we voluntarily would not?

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