Byron York’s column on Schiller-aquiddick has an interesting nugget:
Meanwhile Democrats, faced with the task of supporting continued federal funding for NPR in light of the sting tape, are re-casting their arguments in defense of public radio. “The fact of the matter is that NPR is not the most important part of the public broadcasting the debate,” said Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a public broadcasting supporter who brought PBS cartoon character “Arthur the Aardvark” to Capitol Hill recently to lobby for continued federal funding. The real issue, Blumenauer said, is public broadcasting stations, which would lose part of their funding (estimated at 10 percent) if federal funds were shut off. “Not only do our local public broadcasting stations provide us with valuable information, but they also directly support 21,000 jobs in hundreds of communities across America,” Blumenauer said. “These jobs would be at risk if small stations that rely on federal funding were forced to close their doors.”
Well, if the millions in taxpayer funds given to public radio create 21,000 jobs, let’s just double the sum and create 42,000 jobs. Heck, why not just have 100 percent tax rates and create jobs for everyone!