Your daily Letter to the Columnist – May 9, 2011
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He doesn’t see a primarily political motive in Gov. Bob’s cut to PBS
Possibly PBS does much in some taxpayers eyes, but not mine.
Anytime I try to catch a program it almost never represents my values nor any one I talk to. So why should you think McDonald only did it for political reasons?
Could it be McDonald does not represent you nor your values? I am sure you had rather keep spending our money on every liberal thing in this country.
Personally I am glad McDonald had the backbone to stand up against most of the crap I see coming out of PBS.
You want it Dan? You and your friends can pay for it.
R.W.
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Dan’s Reply
Dear R.W,
Thank you for the feedback, it’s always appreciated.
Gov. McDonald left more than $3 million in the budget for PBS.
What he cut via the line-item veto had nothing to do with programming — it was a separate category of funding that’s a resource for public & private school teachers. The column was about his line item veto of that.
Viewed another way: the governor left alone the legislature’s appropriation that funds precisely what you object to in PBS. He decided not to cut a dime from that appropriation.
Thank you for reading the column and for taking the time to write in.
Sincerely,
Dan Casey
May 9, 2011 - 1:30 PM
I’m not a stickler for grammar, spelling, etc. but I think it’s important to get the name of the Governor correct. It’s McDonnell, not McDonald. I know that Dan knows this so I’m not sure why he would continue the mistake in his response.
You would think a huge supporter of our Governor would know his name is McDonnell and not McDonald. And I think Dan is clever for playing along with their lack of knowledge!!
Who is Gov. McDonald???
I’m curious as to what content it is that R.W. finds does not represent [his] values on PBS. Is American Experience too historical? NOVA too science-y? Sesame Street too oriented towards children?
Just to be clear, WBRA does, indeed, provide a number of valuable resources and functions for education in the viewing region. Most people wouldn’t be ware of that aspect of the station’s mission. First, they often act as the fiscal agent for purchases of content, for instance a remarkable resource such as Discovery Education. Their negotiations on behalf of the region’s schools have provided discount pricing to an incredible repository of Web based instructional video. While schools currently have purchase the service, WBRA is the party that negotiates on the their behalf.
WBRA also provides valuable programming they own and also brokers or hosts professional development events for the benefit of all teachers in the region. Most recently I attended the McGolthin Awards which provides two 25,000 dollar awards to outstanding teachers in the region. While the money for the awards and the process of selection is provided by the largess of the McGlothin foundation, WBRA, because of it’s educational mission, has served as the administrative agency that organizes the selection and award process. It has been a constructive relationship and served the public and the McGlothlin foundation well.
In years past, when funding was available, they hosted Teacher Training Institutes that provided high quality professional development in the area of technology integration.
Current education services can be found here:
http://www.wbra.org/html/edserv/index.html
Just to make sure I reveal full disclosure here, I have worked for WBRA. I know this aspect of their mission isn’t common knowledge, but it will be missed.
So who’s going to break it to R.W. that the governor’s name isn’t “McDonald”?
E I E I O
did you purposely leave that tid bit of info out of the article just to use it as a first rebuttal to someone questioning it? geh.
What “tidbit”. The governor’s name?
Oh, mattyr, thank you for recognizing my amazing capacity to think strategically. Yes, you see, I knew that R.W., or somebody, would write precisely what he wrote. And I knew — all in advance, of course — that my response would be a a GREAT comeback, much better than putting it in the column in the first place. Farsightedness has been a hallmark of my entire life.
Would you like me to tell you when the world will end, and how?
OK, I’m turning off the sarcasm font now.
No, I didn’t deliberately leave it out to trap someone. It’s not how I roll.
Disappointed?
Okay, who wants to place bets that R.W. didn’t watch Sesame Street as a youngster?
Haha! Dan, I would like to know when the world will end… word going around now is May 21, 2011.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/09/world-to-end-may-24-weekend-kook-or-prophet
If you have any thoughts I would love to see some wagers being placed (not that anyone could claim the prize, just see who loses).
#11 The same guy predicted the end of the world in 1994 and when it didn’t happen he said it turned out that he hadn’t researched the Bible well enough. Sad things is, there are people who have actually quit their jobs and are traveling around spreading the word about this.
There are all sorts of billboards heading south on 220 going towards Myrtle, all proclaiming the end of the world. Those cheerful folks had a truck with advertising plastered on the sides proclaiming the 5/21 date.
NPR interviewed some of them yesterday… I hope they go back to the same people on 5/22 and see what they have to say. I bet they’re keeping their utility bills paid just in case.
@12 That is nuts. I will say this though, the world better not end on may 21. I have a planned week plus vacation starting May 26th! So help me god if we should have planned it two weeks earlier.
No kidding Upthe…I already paid for a beach house in July. And didn’t take the trip insurance.
On another note, if anyone out there is anticipating being raptured up or whatever on 5/21 and has a gently used green Wrangler with 4 doors, soft top, and tow package, I’d be happy to throw you a few bucks for it before the big day.
First, Cutting funding for PBSA is purely political.
Second, so what.
I have been watching PBS since the 1970′s and it will be able to survive without the government funding. So maybe we have to watch a few APCO commercials focusing on burnishing its corporate community image. Exxon saving the ocean, Blue cross/blue shield reminding us of all the good they do for us.
Take away this crybaby point and the GOP has noting to whine about and PBS gets to program the way it wants too.
We will still watch America experience, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nove Travis Smiley, and Washington Week and our other favorite PBS programming.
Oh, I see you can make online donations. I just made one. Cool.
I think such people are committing the ultimate blasphemy. The hubris in acting like you know God’s plan, down to the actual DAY of his calling us on the carpet is beyond mere mortal temerity and it is indeed blasphemy in it’s ugliest form. I cannot see it any other way.
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36
If even the angels and the Son do not know what on earth can any man know? This is an insult to faith not the exhibition of it.
Kristen – planning on being one of those left behind?? LOL
#17- I agree Sandi. I think more people are turned away from Christianity by listening to “Christians” than by listening to atheists.
Last chance for our get together before the end of the world! We can party like its 1999 then all get on that tour bus to “Hellapalooza”
Sounds like a great weekend!
Just realized I left off “some types of” above- as in “some types of Christians”.
Kristen – planning on being one of those left behind?? LOL
Comment by Dublin Dawg — May 10, 2011 @ 1:47 pm
DD, I certainly hope so. I think things will improve considerably.
There’s no difference between these “End of the Worlders” and the Hale-Bopp people. Or Jim Jones. All victims of hucksters.
d/d,
Are you all packed for the trip? Don’t forget your clean skivvies; wouldn’t want you showing up at the pearly gates looking anything like the fool that you represent on this blog.
Happy trails!
Re: #19
I knew a DD who said the same thing. He also said he rather debate religion with an atheist or agnostic than a self-righteous bigot.
Re: #22
Or hucksters, in their own right.
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