<![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education? - Gizmodo Comments]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education? - Gizmodo Comments]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @Nyle: i'm not rich. but you don't get rich by spending money when you don't have to.

of course i will use the coupon and get a converter for the one TV that needs it.

x23

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @x23 - Never said that everyone that used broadcast TV was poor, just several families that I knew.

You of course being rich will not sign up for the free $40 coupon. Now will you. ;^P

Nyle

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @Nyle:

Believe it or not I know several families that are not well off and rely on terrestrial NTSC analog broadcasts.

i had no idea only poor people used over-the-air broadcast TV.

silly me. i better rush out and order me up 250 channels i'll never watch... lest someone think i am *shudders* poor.

x23

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> The biggest priority should be ENERGY. Oil and electricity drive our lifestyles, economy and country. If the electric goes out you won't be watching TV(see 2003 blackout). When the oil's not cheap anymore our economy will be in shambles. Just another waste of resources by the the government. Spend money on upgrading the power grid and building MASS public transportation systems right away. Seriously, suburbia is shoving us off a cliff.

duckers

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Nyle, You are The Man. Fuck NPR. Fuck the liberals who blow things like this out of proportion. Huzzah to your 5.746 math! Please say you have a blog!!

shack13

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Let's see $574.6 million * 10 years = 5.746 billion dollars.

Maybe we shouldn't be spending money on literacy education and put it into math training instead.

Seriously, this is what is wrong with a lot of reporting in this country. Where is the full coverage?

This is what they call a one time expenditure, it's likely paid for by the selling of the bandwidth associated with the old analog NTSC broadcast spectrum.

In addition, I'm pretty certain that that $1.5B figure includes the $990M coupon program which is going to give citizens roughly enough money to get a free converter box.

Believe it or not I know several families that are not well off and rely on terrestrial NTSC analog broadcasts. By eliminating analog broadcasts you would be removing their ability to receive broadcast TV. They can really use the coupon offer.

Again by the auctioning of the bandwidth and freeing it up for public services will more than cover the expenditures.

So, I ask you - before you go off half-cocked by listening to an NPR story this morning, about how more money is spent on the HDTV transition than on literacy education, to look a little deeper.

Nyle

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @ChromiumSwitch:
Wow.
* head spinning in amazement *
I don't know if:
(A) You have a sense of humor so highly refined and obscure that it upstages even my own self-proclaimed rarefied wit.
--or--
(B) You are just a thumb-typin' dork.

I'm going to go, cautiously, with (A). I am adding you to my "Friends" list.

bosskev

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @Rabid Penguin: I'm reminded of a line from Max Headroom: "It's a non-volatile storage medium. It's very rare. You should have one."

Stephanie A Fox

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Bread and circuses. "American Gladiator" is back.

Guy-Fawkes

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Why the hell are the government randomly spamming the airwaves with this information at a cost of $1.5 billion? Most of the people who watch those ads will probably be digital customers anyway. Why not simply send a letter to each non-digital TV customer for what, a buck per customer? Seventeen million customers, $17 million. It's better than $1,500 million by two orders of magnitude for Christ's sake.

Oh yeah, that's it. Literacy spending has been so bad for so long nobody who got such a letter would be able/inclined to read it. My bad.

theoldwolf

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Education Funding in this country is so bad that it's becoming an oxy-moron in itself_

It's pathetic - yeah education starts at home and lack thereof is a direct reflection on the parents_ I agree_ Parents do rely entirely too much on Government Intervention when it suits them_

But at the same time - I do remeber being taught to read and write in school above and beyond the basics that my parents taught me_

It's rediculous that they spend left over chump change on education and excess on frivolous things such as the Digital Cable Changeover_ That $1.5 Billion dollars could easily go for books - computer labs - teacher salaries - after school programs to keep kids away from "shady dealings"_

uberfu

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @mdawg4624: yeah - well their literacy rate is also much higher than ours too_

uberfu

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Not to poke holes in your numbers, but the Dept. of Education has budgeted a billion dollars for the Reading First program alone, even though it doesn't work and has been characterized by a lack of oversight.

Yes, there are many things wrong with our education system; these problems (just like many others that face our nation) are complex and cannot be solved with simple, shallow measures intended to address the symptoms and not the illness itself.

frndlybnny

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> How about 'none of the above'? I'd much rather the government not take my money to begin with while I decide what I want to spend it on.

rhlowe

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @Delmarc: No it doesn't. City/state/gov never paid for it in the first place (might subsidize a local channel but don't know what your getting at by "paying for it"). The ads pay for it. That's not changing at all. Just how you get it. Now you just need "digital" rabbit ears.

Like others pointed out the poll sensationalizes something that doesn't really exist. Of course the Fed is going to spend more on something mandated by the FCC (a federal agency) then "literacy" which besides being vauge (at what point in education are you calling it literacy and not just part of the 68 billion that ED gets) is something that is going to be handled at the local levels so you've got State, County, and City funds on top of it.

tande04

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Remember, it is in the government's best interest to keep the population just above functional as far as education... If the population gets too smart, they start questioning everything.

So, in this regard, making better TV is a far better per-dollar choice than better schooling.

Karl Marx was quoted as saying, "Religion is the opiate of the masses"... He never saw TV.

rihahn

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> To be fair, once the digital transition is over, no more $1.5Bn, but literacy is ongoing, so over time, you're probably spending the same amount either way...

Fall-Apart

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> one thing that i think alot of people forget is that in order to get tv now you have to pay for it... when you have old televisions with bunny ears... your not paying for it... the city/state/gov pays for it.. or even the station mostly... now this cuts that need to do so...

Delmarc

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> You can learn how to read...if you have Broadband access to the internet.

Strongarm

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @Rabid Penguin: ZOMG ur such a dork lololol NOOBZ teh litaracy is ttoally impotrnat FAIL !!1!11!

ChromiumSwitch

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @bwilliams18: This refers to digital broadcast, quite different from digital cable.

trendspotter

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> The question is, if we have TV do people need to be able to read? The written language is a thing of the past. It served its purpose and served it well, but its time has come.

Rabid Penguin

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Education should be one of our greatest concerns, unfortunately, television and advertising brings in much more money (thus more important) in the government's eyes than making sure our population is highly educated and is able to contribute further down the line.

GOKOR

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Broadband hands down.
Me no knot how to reed!

ByeBye

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> I saw this thing called the Constitution and it was all like "enumerated powers" and congress was just like WTF?

fightcopyright

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Meh. If this is a one or two-time charge, it's reasonable.

I'll bet there are more people who don't understand the digital TV transition than there are adults who are illiterate.

ThriftyTechie

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Once again, more useless government run programs.

bms

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @ProSeven: What, are you paranoid or something? Holy Christ.

"THE GOVERNMENT, MAAAAAAAAAN."

"What about the government?"

"...THE GOVERNMENT, MAAAAAAAAN!!!!!"

I'm guessing you're also of the opinion that the government toppled its own country's buildings to give the public a reason to want to go to the Middle East.

MastaFalse

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Yeah, America is kinda ... uhm ... yeah.

I've got nothing to say, 'cause if I even try I'll get caught in this spiral of inexorable rage.

MastaFalse

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Uh, if by "literacy," you mean No Child Left Behind, then I say screw literacy, Broadband is more important.

I have first-hand experience...
the tests are easier than pie and/or believing it's not butter.

ItsRabid

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> We DO need literacy education. Perhaps then people would read the US Constitution and understand what roles and responsibilities the Federal government is responsible for. For those that consider themselves already literate, [www.usconstitution.net]
AMAZINGLY enough, literacy and health care are no where to be found.

jymbrittain

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> The pro-literacy groups need better lobbyists.

If only they had read about this.

scarbrtj

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Throwing money at the problem isn't going to solve jack. The problem is the system. Powerful teachers' unions can scuttle any needed reforms that take away their power. Then they complain that money is the problem. It's sickening BS perpetuated decade to decade while America gets dumber and dumber.

FY9

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Analog TV always worked, I could put up with the static on most stations. Digital is a hit-or-miss, all-or-nothing. I can only pick up one channel reliably in my room in digital, and the living room TV cuts out random channels in less-than-perfect weather. Could it be a scam to force people to get cable or satellite?

Broadband access here in the US may be sub-par compared to that of some other nations, but it's pretty darn good. If I can stream near-DVD-quality video without buffering, that's good enough for me (for now).

However, even in (an internationally accredited school of business) college, nearly half of my classmates cannot effing read the directions for an assignment, misspell everything, or murder grammar. And they still pass.

The government needs to get its priorities changed. No child left behind has been a huge backfire. It's more like every child gets advanced to the next grade without having to put in a dime's worth of effort to learn their own effing national language. Sure, you can speak it, btu kan u ritez it? kan U reedz it lol?!!?!!111omfg!?

TuxRug

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Most American's don't read books. Leaders putting more money into televising their propaganda will benefit them a lot more than printing it in books.

thedarkhorse

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> It is normal that the US spends more on wars and entertainment than on literacy and the health system. Open your eyes! There is a movie that explains why the US do that. The movie is called Zeitgeist. you can get the FREE AND LEGAL torrent or watch it online here: www.zeitgeistmovie.com
Download the movie asap as this post might be deleted soon.

ProSeven

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Illiteracy in the US is just bad parenting. I can't remember school doing much to teach me how to read or spell. My first toys were...surprise-Books! (Huh, wonder if that was punctuated correctly.)

Seriously though, children are illiterate and "hungry" by their parent's choices alone in this country. No one needs to starve in the US, as we have WIC and food stamps. Besides, if a homeless person walks into a grocery store and helps himself to the cheesecake sampler, he's not going to jail; the cop will just drop him off at a shelter.

Same works for illiteracy. Parents need to feed their kids knowledge and it needs to be important to them. If they'd rather spend their money on "grills" and a fake Louis Vuitton handbag than their kids' enrichment, that's their problem.

markarian

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Most everything I have to say has been said (literacy!=education, selling 700 Mhz spectrum).

Not sure if anyone mentioned the television is by far the most important communication tool of the 20th century and remains so today (though the internet is rapidly displacing it). It is actually more than American Idol.

shmokes

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> You're wrong if you think the government hasn't set its priorities. It has, and the point is to slowly widdle away at the middle class.

They're obviously trying to dumb down the masses - you're fine if you one of the few with money and power, who send their offspring to elite private schools and have the influence over real leaders to ensure that they keep their intellectual advantage.

Sorry had to say it since no other conspiracy nuts have yet.

Fierock

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> To be fair, the feds are giving money to people to get digital converter boxes because the feds are forcing this change on people. Not that it isn't long overdue, but people tend to complain when other people break their stuff.

But do we need to spend more on literacy? I dunno. All the kids I knew in high school (I graduated two years ago) could read, even if it took them a while and they had to sound out the big words. Was the school underfunded in other areas, like modern textbooks (my history textbook talked about the "possible fall of the Berlin Wall"-- no joke) or science lab equipment? Yeah, undoubtedly. But straight-up literacy wasn't a problem. Though if you ask me, the best thing Congress could do for our schools would be to repeal No Child Left Behind.

grmmr797

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> As far as I know, it's the Feds who pushed for the transition to digital broadcasting SO THEY CAN RESELL THE BANDWIDTH originally occupied by analog channels. The 700MHz spectrum was auctioned for a total of $19B according to FCC. $1.5B for the transition may not be too bad for what it brings in.

Of course, it's still debatable why $1.5B is needed for informing 17 million people, about $90 per person. Maybe that figure includes the rebates for digital-analog converter?

subyfan

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> considering that the constitution specifically bars the federal government from doing anything related to education (10th amendment - all powers not specifically given to the federal government in this document are the job of the states), i don't significantly give a shit that we're spending more on the TV switchover... because we shouldn't have the feds breaking the law by doing either of them.

theotherstevejobs

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Who needs reading when you can be brainwash 24/7 with TV? It's better to spend all budgets on weapons, obviously, to make the world a safer place...

prouted

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Literacy is not something that really falls under the federal governments responsibilities. Education is run by the states and is funded by the states. Sounds to me like the funding sounds just about right.

rfox316

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @dMo:

Absolutly correct; schools don't need money, they need better salaries so they can attract better educated teachers, up to date textbooks, better classroom facilities like science labs, school buildings that aren't falling apart, supplies, computers, etc.

Of course, all of that costs money.

"Throwing money at the problem," is no solution. Of course, neither is refusing to spend money where it IS needed.

Candyman

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> That's the reason why you find people buying tanning beds for cats and dogs.

berbar

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @man_in_gauze: Possibly when some fatass redneck named Bill Clinton ruled this country. He loved McDonalds, and he balanced the damn budget. Let's vote for his wife.

qbrad

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Well what affects the most people?

Ethan Allison

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> If the US was truly a capitalist society the government wouldn't give any subsidies to help these giant companies. Instead they would allow good companies to thrive in an open market. While the crappy companies stopped sucking on the teets of the tax payer. Seems like public schools are outside of this jurisdiction and should be shown some love.

taciturnforsale

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> They're not against literacy. They're just not into analog books.

GeekyNerdGuy

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> What?

jcraig

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> The literacy money is probably being spent on illegal aliens and their children. When you look at the money we're spending on things like that the $1.5 Bil on the Digital TV transition pales in comparison.

cowboyshootist

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> There are too many kids (17 year olds) who can barely read in my school.

Sorry, HDTV, literacy gets my vote this time around.

aR-Tard

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> I believe this is for adult education...

source:
[www.ed.gov]


herbehop

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Education begins at home

pevans34

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> What are you talking about, I saw an ad for literacy in last weeks readers digest. It said, to order a literacy package, just write them a letter.

Darkest Daze

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Since when has the US government ever allocated its budget wisely? Or since when have they done so and told people about it?

man in gauze is king ramses II, silly.

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> its important to realize that this figure is likely for the federal spending on a particular sector of education, whereas the taxes you pay to your local government will provide the primary funding for the scholastic system. So arguing federal spending on literacy vs. TV is really a moot point because it is not the job of the federal government to provide money for schools.

dudemann

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> People seem to be forgetting a rather key point, the Digital TV Transition is sort of a one time thing. It's going to be a major expenditure for a couple of years, at the most... literacy, that's sort of an ongoing thing.

Then you have the fact that buying a digital broadcast setup costs more than it does to pay a College student (majoring in education) to teach a class of 30 adults to read. Hell some of them pay to do that (for credit).

Is the state of education in this country laughable? Yes, yes it is. I'm not going to deny that. But the fact of the mater is that throwing more money at it isn't going to solve the problem. The highschools in my town are basically drug markets, if you built brand new schools, they'd be drug markets in a nice building. Until you address the issue that is the student, no amount of money is going to change anything.

something_unique_and_descriptive

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Why is this article on Gizmodo? I'm just sayin'...

packetsniffer

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Media companies should be footing the $1.5 billion to inform us on how to tune into their mostly lame but soon to be digital broadcasts... Thank you very much.

GrndsKeeprWillie

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> I have to say that was hard to vote. There was a strong force leading me to broadband but all joking aside, of course our government is completely fucked up on this issue. If the U.S. does not do something to beging to better educate the kids of this country in math and science (and that means that we need to read to be able to do those functions) then we are going to rapidly become a dinosaur. We have fallen behind dramatically in the field of invention as our patents are at their lowest levels (ever?). The good news is the typical response to this comments is look at what we have accomplished, America is great. That is true, America HAS BEEN great, we lead the world in industry, invention, care, etc. BUT, the key words are HAS BEEN and we need to start to take this seriously. When places like Singapore are attracting Ivy League professors to run their research and development labs that they are building there is a problem. We created state of the art and now everyone else is taking advantage of it. Not that this is a bad thing, but American's are not use to being second best. We can no longer rest on our laurels and we need to start to think about rebuilding schools in American, not in Ira....hey, who took my soap box... :(

andrelix

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Well at least the government has been fiscally responsible other than this... oh wait...

kzooguy

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> The majority of public school funding comes from property taxes. Which is to say, local and state government, not federal. The federal government may not spend that much on this nebulous "literacy education" but $1.5 billion is a drop in the bucket compared to what is spent teaching our kids to read.

It takes a pretty purposeful distortion (or worse, a pretty poor grasp of US public schooling) to even put the DTV campaign and education spending in the same discussion.

dan

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Like few here have pointed out, the real problem swings back to how the U.S. educational system seems to be on the decline (or is already near the bottom of the pit).

According to the CIA factbook, literacy is those "age 15 and over" that "can read and write." Apparently, this is 99% of the population.

UNESCO, on the other hand, defines literacy as "the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts." This seems to speak more to education overall-if the factbook used this definition, I doubt that 99% of the population would be literate.

So, yeah: I think the government needs to adjust their priorities. What we really need to do is find a way to bring more skilled, educated and enthusiastic educators into the grade schools. Increasing funding is only one piece of the puzzle...

AmbroseP

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Ahem. All our problems, I meant. See, that's why we need literacy education!

weatherman

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Its all the damn FCC's fault, they are the reason we have slow "broadband", they have regulated fiber optics and all other networks to death, thats why South Korea, with 1/6th of the population of the US pulls in close to the same bandwidith. Its ridiculous, its why the satelite radio merger is the longest merger in US history, which is saying a lot cause ole duba was handin out mergers left and right to any damn oil companies that pleased. Welcome to the democratic United States of America run by corporations and lobbyists.

blake1234

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @dMo: and thinking that the problem will fix itself or that Magical Fairy Millionaires will solve all are problems is just as idiotic.

weatherman

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> panem et circenses
"Bread and circuses"- Juvenal, written ≈ 1 CE.

DeadWriter

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> @mdawg4624:

My TW Cable connection keeps falling. As Adelphia, I had 3MbPS for a short time just before they wre turned over to TW.
When TW took over it immediatly dropped to 1.5 MbPS, then slid slowly to 1. Today it was it was only some 800KbPS.
Shameful, it's no wonder the Chinese are beating us.

AdmNaismith

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> What the hell is literary education? The government spends countless billions on public schools, yet somehow you're claiming that we only spend half a billion on literacy education. Free broadband would probably do more to promote literacy than some congressman's pork products.

uncle_wiggly

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Most of America is literate. The problem is that after learning to read, people are getting crap-shit educations.
(and we are fat, and take away rights).

Mr.Purple

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> I meant to delete the "I" at the end. I wish giz would through more money into their comment code so I can edit my mistake(s).

dMo

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Since the federal government effectively controls the public waves, it makes sense to spend the money to inform (and assist) as many people as possible about the upcoming switch.

Education (yes, even adult literacy) is a responsibility of each state, and that's why states have their own education budget. It's not like we're 'stealing money from the precious snowflakes' to pay for TV.

Lastly, note that virtually everyone has a TV in the home. Not everyone has a computer, or the skills/knowledge to use one, so insuring that they don't lose access to TV broadcasts is much more important than broadband (emergency alerts, anyone?).

SwiftKick

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> What we need to do is raise the level of education, not just spend more money.

Thinking that spending more money is going to yield results is thinking on the same level as the idiots who are sitting in their elected seats waisting our money as I we type.

dMo

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Frankly, I'm a little miffed that one of the choices in this poll isn't "FuzzyWuzzyModo Animal Prosthetics".

bosskev

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> WE NEEDZ MORE INTERNETZ!!!!!

Mostly because our children isn't learning good enuff.

CTJoyce

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Literacy:

An educated, literate society (one that places a high value on media literacy, not just attaining some base level of it) will push itself to be aware of sea changes in TV and Broadband.

Simon

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> i would say that alot less money needs to be spent on the digital cable thing but i dont know how many people still do analog stuff but i think broadband needs to go faster but litiracy needs to have much more money spent on it

bwilliams18

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> BROADBAND. Japan on average is 60mbps. 60 AVERAGE!! I just need to move.

mdawg4624

]]> <![CDATA[Is It Right That the U.S. Government Spends More on the Digital TV Switch Than Literacy Education?]]> Well, to be fair... I think literacy education refers more to teaching people who can't read (immigrants, mentally challenged adults?), not children. I think teaching children to read would be part of the much larger (I hope) education budget.

RFX

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