Where’s the Bipartisan Outrage?

Filed under:Jerks,Not Cool,Priorities,Television — posted by Anwyn on January 1, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

You know that lefty canard that the money being spent on the war should be spent on health care and education? Well, here’s a billion and a half I’d be happier to see going there than here:

Beginning Feb. 18, 2009, anyone who does not own a digital set and still gets their programming via over-the-air antennas will no longer receive a picture.

That’s the day the television industry completes its transition from old-style analog broadcasting to digital.

The converter boxes are expected to cost between $50 and $70 and will be available at most major electronics retail stores. Starting Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will begin accepting requests for two $40 coupons per household to be used toward the purchase of the boxes.

The giveaway basically works under the honor system.

The first 22 million coupons will go to all households that request them. That includes a residence that gets cable service for one television but has a spare TV that still uses an antenna, for example.

The rest of the coupons, however, are meant only for those who do not subscribe to a pay-television service.

What the hell? Not only did Congress order what should be a market to go to a certain technology, it will now spend $1.5 BILLION DOLLARS to entitle people to television. Television. And, it will give away this entitlement to people who already subscribe to the technology needed to go on receiving television signal after the government-ordered interference completes the transition to digital.

I have no words for the crap our government wastes money on. Hey, I wouldn’t like to lose my TV programming, either. Maybe the government should have thought about that one order to broadcasters and $1.5 BILLION DOLLARS ago.

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image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace