Maryland Public Television today sent out a message today in support of public funding of PBS.  PBS, by law, is not allowed to participate in politics or advance a partisan agenda. But, in a colossal demonstration of precisely why taxpayers shouldn’t borrow from China, MPT wrote:

Following last week’s presidential debate, the unprecedented outpouring of support for public broadcasting through social media has blown us away. We know Big Bird felt the love, and so did we.

For more than 40 years, Big Bird has embodied the public broadcasting mission — harnessing the power of media for the good of citizens, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. Our system serves as a universally accessible resource for education, history, science, arts and civil discourse.

It’s important to us that you understand that government funding is only a small piece of what keeps Maryland Public Television on the air. But it’s an important piece. Consider this:

• The federal investment in public broadcasting equals about one one-hundredth of one percent of the federal budget.
• Over the course of a year, 91% of all U.S. television households tune in to their local PBS station. In fact, our service is watched by 81% of all children between the ages of 2 and 8.
• For every $1.00 of federal funding invested, PBS raises an additional $6.00 on its own — a highly effective public-private partnership.

In other words, PBS admits it is a prolific fund raiser. Challenged by the loss of money borrowed from China PBS could survive quite comfortably. It could then advance its “Progressive” political agenda without assaulting the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. And, if it simply asked the commercially successful Big Bird to “join” its family of viewers, it wouldn’t need assistance from those of us who object to government managed messaging on public airwaves.

Pathetically its first point is illustrative of what is wrong with our federal government that borrows 40 cents of each dollar it spends – each line item, in and of itself is small.  Each line item is defended by rent seekers and leeches who argue that no program is violable, even those that could survive without fleecing taxpayers. Even Big Bird, the phenomenally marketable symbol of the loopy left can’t be asked to pay his own way . . .

It’s time to retire public support for Big Bird and Barry Hussein Soetoro Obama . . .