[Bad Legislation IMO

[sj]

IMO, this legislation would be a mistake. The Gov't holding the purse strings could have influence over what is reported. Print media is not included in this funding it is for the electronic media only. It does not need to pass.

From the Las Vega Review Journal:

Television and radio stations in Nevada and throughout the nation could get government help when it comes to reporting on major catastrophes if a bill inspired by Hurricane Katrina fallout becomes law.

The bill by Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, calls for up to $10 million in matching grants annually for broadcasters to upgrade equipment and would make some television and radio station workers eligible for government-provided food, water and fuel during a catastrophe.

It would also make it harder for the government to confiscate food or fuel from broadcasting outlets during an emergency.

If the bill becomes law, it would essentially elevate broadcasters to a similar level as first responders at the scene of a catastrophe, a status that wouldn't extend to print or Internet news and information organizations.

[westtexan]

You do have to admit that newspapers were pretty much useless after Katrina...but people could still be reached on battery-operated radios.

[itsmyopinion]

You have to admit that sometimes and more often than not, the media and "broadcasters" like Geraldo sensationalize more than they report.

[pioneerspirit]

I don't like this idea either. The media sensationalize the news they report (even the weather) and they are far too left for me. Instead of handing out money to the media they should be working on health care for this country -- it's WAY too expensive IMO.

[amatx]

The Emergency Broadcast System would not be eligible for the proposed funds.

This is an unpopular politician hoping to purchase favor from the American media with tax dollars

[sccindy]

I'm with Pioneer on this one....the health care issue is much more important and needed. We'll all find out how important it should have been one day when the government takes our houses, and everything in them, our life insurance policies that we worked hard to keep to be able to hand something down to our kids and anything else we own to pay for the health care we need because the medicare that they gave us NO CHOICE but to pay for will make us unable to keep the healthcare we had while working. This is happennning to my grandmother as we speak. She is losing everything and I mean everything because she fell and broke her leg this past week and she's 80 years old and she now has to move into a nursing home, which only because she has paid for the supplemental insurance, pays for 20 days in the nursing home. After that, she has to pay them $6000 cash a week or they, the government, take her home and everything in it. So, in the end, they get it all. It's not right.