Public radio and TV stations, most connected through PBS and NPR, provide an invaluable service to many Americans.
Public TV and radio bring a variety of cultural, educational and thought-provoking programs to us. They bring a wealth of programming to viewers and listeners not only in the cities, but also to people who live in places not served by local TV or radio.
How many of us and our children have been taught the ABC's by Sesame Street? How many of us have been transported to faraway places and distant worlds with shows like NOVA or Travel with Rick Steves, or had our views expanded by guests and segments on "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered" or, yes, Charlie Rose?
But the president would take all that away, as he's tried in the past three Federal budgets he's presented. He's trying again. The budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021 would cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the current $445 million down to $30 million.
For public stations in major markets, some of the shortfall might be made up by donations from viewers and listeners. But such a drastic cutback would likely be a death knell for stations in smaller markets.
Maybe this is part of the president's plan to kill independent and fact-based news media. Maybe it's also a way to free up some funds for Trump's folly-- the wall on our southern border. It certainly isn't going to fund essential things like Medicaid and Social Security; he's looking to make drastic cuts in those areas as well.
The proposed budget also looks to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The advocacy group Americans for the Arts says the NEA has given grants to local arts organizations in every Congressional district in each of the 50 states and also in U.S. territories.
What sort of society would we be without the arts and education?
I take solace in the fact that Congress, which holds approval over the Federal purse-strings has consistently supported PBS, NPR and the NEA, rejecting past budgets from the current administration that have attempted similar cuts to the arts and humanities. But we can't take for granted that common sense and decency will prevail.
It's worth a call or email to your Congressman or Congresswoman.