Governor Rick Scott vs. Big Bird
(Posted June 20, 2011 08:09 am)
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - Floridians across the state are wondering why their
newly elected governor, Rick Scott, wants to clip Big
Bird's wings. In the past 35 years, the legislature has
appropriated funds for public television and radio. In
the last session lawmakers approved $4.8 million, but
Gov. Scott, a Republican, used his line-item veto to
eliminate the funding, claiming public broadcasting was
a "special interest."
Florida university student Anna Eskamani, co-founder
of
Keep PBS in Orlando, has 6,000 signatures on a
petition urging the legislature to override the veto and
restore the funds.
"PBS provides programming for all demographics,
including the most vulnerable groups of people: You have
children, you have those who cannot afford cable."
According to a recent New York Times article, if some
funds are not restored, several Florida public radio and
television stations may go dark, but managers of the
local stations remain somewhat optimistic.
The cuts, set to go into effect in July, make up less
than 10 percent of their budgets and they are still
hopeful that lawmakers will reinstate the money and
possibly override Scott's veto when they reconvene in
January.
Eskamani is appalled that Scott tore up the check in the
first place.
"There was a line-item veto, it was obviously
haphazardly done and cutting that is just a terrible
thing to do."
Public broadcasters have been under the funding gun,
even at the national level. Recently, Republican members
of congress sought to cut off appropriations for
National
Public Radio, citing "liberal bias."
