again in giving out free coupons to people, for free digital converter boxes.

I've seen on the TV lately that the government has run out of money to provide coupons for free digital converter boxes boxes. The pundits have been saying "how can the government misjudge the amount needed?"

My question is "why should the government have even provided ANY money for the boxes?" Once again the idiots in Washington felt the need to be responsible to provide goods or services, that grown up Americans should provide for themselves.

The members of congress will go to no end to ensure that the public be dependent on them for their every need. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Do you think that it has anything to do with the votes they will receive from their "needy" constituents?

if they can't do an estimate of households in the USA...how many boxes per household...equal $X.....then how can we have ANY confidence about the billions of dollars already spent for bailouts which has yet to trickle down to we the people....or the now pending trillions of dollars Obama says is needed to jump start the economy???

It is ALL political arm waving....they have no concept of what is needed let alone assure the money will go where it is supposed to go.

The digital box exercise could not be any simpler....what can we expect of the much bigger programs that are labeled as the salvation of we the people?

One year from today will tell the tale....good, bad or indifferent. The track record? Net impact = little or no effect and no one will be able to explain why....just like they have no idea why the digital transition is off target.
Lawyers and politicians = !!!!

The circumstance is party insensitive. The common denominator is they are politicians...by definition they have absolutely NO CONCEPT OF REALITY OR WHAT IS NEEDED BY WHOM....other than as it affects them or their lobbyists or special interest groups.

They demanded a plan from the auto makers before they would authorize any funding. Where is the bank or insurance bailout plan and how are we doing with the 700 billion against that plan? DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH.
The banks have received billions of dollars and to date there has been NO loosening of the lending. The banks are holding the money to their benefit.

Not we the people.

At some point we the people will recognize that government intervention is not the answer. Lawyers and politicians do not comprehend, nor do they understand or expect accountability.

As I have said previously, enjoy what you have today because it will never be any better hence forth.

BTK

Originally Posted by Guest

if they can't do an estimate of households in the USA...how many boxes per household...equal $X.....then how can we have ANY confidence about the billions of dollars already spent for bailouts which has yet to trickle down to we the people....or the now pending trillions of dollars Obama says is needed to jump start the economy???

It is ALL political arm waving....they have no concept of what is needed let alone assure the money will go where it is supposed to go.

The digital box exercise could not be any simpler....what can we expect of the much bigger programs that are labeled as the salvation of we the people?

One year from today will tell the tale....good, bad or indifferent. The track record? Net impact = little or no effect and no one will be able to explain why....just like they have no idea why the digital transition is off target.
Lawyers and politicians = !!!!

The circumstance is party insensitive. The common denominator is they are politicians...by definition they have absolutely NO CONCEPT OF REALITY OR WHAT IS NEEDED BY WHOM....other than as it affects them or their lobbyists or special interest groups.

They demanded a plan from the auto makers before they would authorize any funding. Where is the bank or insurance bailout plan and how are we doing with the 700 billion against that plan? DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH.
The banks have received billions of dollars and to date there has been NO loosening of the lending. The banks are holding the money to their benefit.

Not we the people.

At some point we the people will recognize that government intervention is not the answer. Lawyers and politicians do not comprehend, nor do they understand or expect accountability.

As I have said previously, enjoy what you have today because it will never be any better hence forth.

BTK

The real question is will we remember who voted for this folly 21 and 45 months from now, or will we be again blinded with other smoke and mirror gamesmanship? That 9% approval rating exists despite an over 90% re-election rate occurring.

The recognition of the digital conversion boxes as both a creation of government dependence development and crummy estimation of market is right-on! Government cannot run a business - nor should government try to manage a consumer situation that the marketplace better understands and can respond.

I don't remember government offering coupons to upgrade consumer computers for Internet use when government websites got graphic-heavy and DOS machines couldn't process them. I wasn't around then (I really was, but wanted to sound "youthful"), but I doubt government provided coupons to people to get cars when horse-and-buggy vehicles were not allowed on Interstates. When government installs sewer lines down a street and puts a time limit on when septic tanks on that street must be closed, I can't remember a circumstance where government gave coupons to hire plumbers to disconnect the house from the septic tank and hook into the sewer line.

I wonder whether the digital conversion boxes are "Made in China" or elsewhere, or are of US manufacture and content? Who makes the boxes? Does the manufacturer(s) have a K Street Lobbyist pushing for these coupons? Which congresspersons are receiving "support" from the manufacturer and agents?

Government "sponsorship" of industry, products and services leads to patronage, graft and cover-ups as to what's really going on. When the dust settles on the bailouts, it will be interesting to see how the net worth of certain congresspersons has risen disproportionately to their income and prior portfolios.

deleted after reading steve's response below

Originally Posted by villager99

sorry i can't be as elegant as others but isn't easy access to information our culture provides via television important. to our society.
it's not surprising to me that government underestimated the number of households without digital tv's or cable service thus needing converter boxes come february.

When newspapers were our only source of public information - did the government subsidize their purchase?

When AM radio became in vogue - did government subsidize the purchase of AM radios?

When FM radios became the rage - did government send us coupons to pay for FM converters?

When VHF TV (television, not to be confused with "The Villages") hit the scene - did government provide for reduced-priced TVs for households?

When UHF TV was added to provide more channels - did government pick up the share of the cost for UHF converters and additional antennae?

When Cable TV entered the market - did government pay for any of the installation costs in private homes?

When Satellite TV joined into the information materket - see above.

So, after all this history, why did government now find it necessary to subsidize conversion boxes for VHF/UHF TV viewers?

Originally Posted by SteveZ

When newspapers were our only source of public information - did the government subsidize their purchase?

When AM radio became in vogue - did government subsidize the purchase of AM radios?

When FM radios became the rage - did government send us coupons to pay for FM converters?

When VHF TV (television, not to be confused with "The Villages") hit the scene - did government provide for reduced-priced TVs for households?

When UHF TV was added to provide more channels - did government pick up the share of the cost for UHF converters and additional antennae?

When Cable TV entered the market - did government pay for any of the installation costs in private homes?

When Satellite TV joined into the information materket - see above.

So, after all this history, why did government now find it necessary to subsidize conversion boxes for VHF/UHF TV viewers?

Steve...keep up the great work. You are able to articulate what many if not most feel. The government/President/Congress is NOT the answer to most problems and the bigger they get the worse off we will be !!!!

Originally Posted by SteveZ

So, after all this history, why did government now find it necessary to subsidize conversion boxes for VHF/UHF TV viewers?

I'm with you, Steve.

The prescribed change to digital TV was made because we were running out of "space" on the over-the-air channels, as I recall. It was done with plenty of forewarning. Why the government found it necessary to give out coupons to help people buy boxes was beyond me, but to me not enough of a big deal to get incensed about. But now that the constituents of some members of Congress are moaning and groaning that their rabbit ears won't work anymore, the politicians are getting involved once again. Ridiculous! Pandering for a few votes, as if we've never seen that before either.

Perhaps the government would subsidize my need. Mrs. Gnu and I need to move to the villages to realize our dream of retiring in a place of warmth and beauty. We're unable to sell our condo in Florida to make the move and feel the Governments desire to provide our every need should include buying us a TV home. Sounds good to us!

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

I'm with you, Steve.

...., but to me not enough of a big deal to get incensed about.
...

I am incensed.

Somewhere in this mess is a manufacturer and distribution system (probably foreign) which proposed this coupon fiasco to increase sales. Lobbyists were hired to "spread the green" across Congress to create the program (that's were the funding comes from). Now, we have another "entitlement program," and it will be used as the precedent for another once someone comes up with a product and a corresponding government action which created a market.

As an amateur radio operater I appreciate spectrum management.
As a taxpayer, all I see is more of my money grifted away for no reason.
As a citizen, I think we all got the shaft again from Congress - maybe a little one in the grand scheme of things, but a shafting no less.

And we keep voting to return to Congress the same arrogant folk who see "K Street" is more important than "Main Street" every day.

//Note: for those who are not familiar with the location, K Street, Washington, DC is the location where the most influential of the DC Lobbyists have their primary offices.//