The Sconz is advocating “AB 65, which would create public funding for Supreme Court elections, by a 4-3 party line vote.”
AB65, according to LFB “establishes a means of providing public funds for candidates for Supreme Court Justice in primary and general election campaigns through the democracy trust fund .. a segregated fund established by the legislation. “ Segregated funds, wonder where I’ve heard that before 
.
But the Sconz wants government funding not just for the campaigns, but even the media: “Ironically, the solution to both issues I believe to be one and the same: more public financing. Just as campaigns should be publicly financed, so should an increasing number of media outlets.”
Government funding for blogwriters… interesting idea… Although the bigger issue – instead of having the government solve all of our problems, if I want to share over $20 worth of my views on the SupCt race, why do I have to fill out 6 forms and have them notarized?
To borrow a quote from Randy Melchert who borrowed a quote from Yogi Berra, “I didn’t say half the things that I said.”
I didn’t ever reference bloggers as deserving government funding.
Regardless, I think you misinterpret my argument. My point is not that existing media outlets should receive government aid or even be subject to government regulation. That would be absurd. But I do believe that outlets like PBS should be expanded. The amount of spending on such ventures is such a pittance but can do so much good.
Comment by The Sconz — June 18, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
I didn’t claim that you said bloggers should deserve government funding, I merely expanded your idea into a related argument that I might be more agreeable to
Following up on media outlets: Should government funding be put into domestic services like PBS, or foreign services like VOA?
Comment by randallmelchert — June 18, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
BOTH! Both services are extremely important and have been neglected shamelessly since the end of the Cold War. I remember talking to a woman who worked for Radio Free Asia, which was operating on a budget of several million dollars, a fraction of the price of one of the many fighter jets that we use to alienate the same people we want to “bring to the good side.” The opportunities we miss by neglecting foreign media during this interminable “war on terror” is unconscionably irresponsible.
Comment by The Sconz — June 18, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
So what do we do when they try to jam the signals a la Radio Marti (http://www.therightperspective.org/2009/05/06/cuba-jamming-radio-marti-so-hard-it-could-break-the-radio/)? Not antagonistic on this one necessarily – just curious of any ideas?
Comment by randallmelchert — June 18, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
Hey man, we’re America, we can do anything, right? Somehow we got through to eastern Europe back in the day, and I guarantee the Russians were much better equipped (and much more determined) to do it. Or…here’s the best idea: end the embargo and then we won’t need to out-smart them.
Comment by The Sconz — June 18, 2009 @ 5:21 pm