$1.5 billion in tax money
... to help poor folks continue to receive television signals on non-digital sets.
Where in the Constitution do they get the authority to spend money on this?
quote:A 2005 report by the Government Accountability Office said 21 million households -- roughly 19 percent of the nation -- rely on an antenna rather than cable or satellite to receive television signals.
After the first of the year, the government will be making available to each household two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. Congress has set aside $1.5 billion to pay for the coupon program.
Initially, $990 million will be used to pay for coupons and cover administrative costs, which are capped at $110 million. An additional $510 million may be allocated, but those coupons are reserved for households that have only over-the-air television.
Full story here:
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2007/july/0727_digital_tv1.shtml
Where in the Constitution do they get the authority to spend money on this?
quote:A 2005 report by the Government Accountability Office said 21 million households -- roughly 19 percent of the nation -- rely on an antenna rather than cable or satellite to receive television signals.
After the first of the year, the government will be making available to each household two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. Congress has set aside $1.5 billion to pay for the coupon program.
Initially, $990 million will be used to pay for coupons and cover administrative costs, which are capped at $110 million. An additional $510 million may be allocated, but those coupons are reserved for households that have only over-the-air television.
Full story here:
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2007/july/0727_digital_tv1.shtml
0
-
Why are Katrina "victims" still living in government-provided housing? 0 -
AFAIK it was the government that decided that all signal will be digital after a certain point in time,
so they are fixing a problem that they are creating [xx(][:(!]0 -
sometime the government just SUCKS 0 -
quote:Originally posted by jwb267
sometime the government just SUCKS
Can you explain a time when it doesn't?0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by jwb267
sometime the government just SUCKS
Can you explain a time when it doesn't?
when it created the interstate system?0 -
quote:Originally posted by KSUmarksman
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by jwb267
sometime the government just SUCKS
Can you explain a time when it doesn't?
when it created the interstate system?
Why? Federal highway funds is a huge scam in an upon itself, and is used for nothing more than placing undue pressure on states to do what the federal government wants it to do.0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by KSUmarksman
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by jwb267
sometime the government just SUCKS
Can you explain a time when it doesn't?
when it created the interstate system?
Why? Federal highway funds is a huge scam in an upon itself, and is used for nothing more than placing undue pressure on states to do what the federal government wants it to do.
I can't imagine today's on-demand economy running smoothly using cruddy 2-lane state roads and the railroad system. Sure there are a few good stretches of privately operated highways but they are few and far between.0 -
Let me see if I've got this right. So our all-knowing-all/caring government decided that we need a better picture quality on our T.V.'s so they mandated that all t.v. reception will be digital. Then they hand out 1.5B of our money so we can better afford to be amazed at our better picture quality. This is B.S.!!!! What's next. Make us all go out and buy an I-pod? What I want to know is who got paid off in congress to pass this crap? H.D.T.V. manufacturers?[:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by KSUmarksman
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by KSUmarksman
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
quote:Originally posted by jwb267
sometime the government just SUCKS
Can you explain a time when it doesn't?
when it created the interstate system?
Why? Federal highway funds is a huge scam in an upon itself, and is used for nothing more than placing undue pressure on states to do what the federal government wants it to do.
I can't imagine today's on-demand economy running smoothly using cruddy 2-lane state roads and the railroad system. Sure there are a few good stretches of privately operated highways but they are few and far between.
It might have been a good idea if it would have been used to simply build highways and end it at that. But, highway funds are used to twist arms in state legislatures to have states comply with what DC liberals want them to do.
You want federal highway funds? Pass a seatbelt law.
You want federal highway funds? Pass a helmet law.
You want federal highway funds? Raise the drinking age from 18 to 21.
You want federal highway funds? Lower the BAC limit on a DUI.
Despite the fact that states pour millions and billions of dollars into the federal coffers, and the feds are supposed to redistribute the wealth to poorer states, that isn't even done. It is merely a shell game, nothing more.0 -
Is this retro-active? Do I get reimbursed for the digital box that I've been paying for these past few years? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Don McManus
Is this retro-active? Do I get reimbursed for the digital box that I've been paying for these past few years?
I think you have to be a Democrat or at least an illiterate disinterested voter to qualify. Then again, that's rather redundant.0 -
Sen. Cantwell that is quoted in the article is a good dem. she will make sure every poor, unemployed, welfare recipant here in Washington state will not only have a converter but a new HGTV to watch while they collect unemplyment checks. Not only will she encourage the use of federal funds but i'm sure she will figure out another way to increase our state taxes. 0 -
I wish they'd switch to HDTV and if you don't buy one, you're SOL. I bought one years ago and have to pay extra for HD packages. It's BS. It's to the point now where everybody should be able to upgrade. Instead of wasting the money on converter boxes, why not spend the money on tax breaks to update tvs?? Then it's their choice if they want tv or not and it's at least getting people into the 21st century.
Tired of people crying about wanting to keep their 30 year old tv. Most people don't keep a car longer than 3 years.
In all honesty though, it is a bad idea for government to have to subidize the poor for ANYTHING tv related.0 -
Tax breaks are not sanctioned by the Democrates. Therefore wouldn't work. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
14 comments