CT Legislators Want State To Subsidize Newspapers

Photo of Mark Finkelstein.

Governor: John?  It's the Governor here.  Say, you guys there at the Bristol Press are doing a great job. Top notch.  But there is that one reporter of yours making a big stink over our proposal to increase the state income tax.  He really doesn't get what we're trying to do to help our state move forward.  And you know, that bill to renew your paper's subsidy is coming up next week. I'd hate to see it get bogged down in the fuss over this.  Know what I mean?

Editor: Um, yes, I know, sir.

The conversation is imaginary but the possibility is real.  At least, it is if the proposal of seven Connecticut state legislators were ever to be adopted.  As reported at the BristolToday blog, the seven have written a letter to the state's Commissioner of Economic and Community Development asking for state "help" for two struggling local newspapers in their districts.  [H/t FReeper abb.]

When I lived in Mexico, the government used to sell newsprint to newspapers at deeply discounted prices.  Needless to say, that discount was subject to being yanked if the papers printed something the government found disagreeable.

Ironically, the legislators claim they are seeking the state "help" because "we want the public to have access to independent news about what is going on in government and in our communities." If ever there were a way to undermine "independent news," this is it. 

Note:  I checked. What do you know?  All the legislators who sent the letter are Democrats.

—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.


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Truth for sale

This would be fine if we could get someone fair to make sure the paper does not lean to one side or the other.  Maybe someone like Whoopie Goldberg or Al Sharpton could help.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Makes perfect sense to me. This would fall into goal  #20. “Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.” from the "45 Communist Goals for America". It's all here... American Communist Education - Special Edition w/Video

 

 

 Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/  

Ct... Bingo! That's the

Ct...

Bingo!

That's the Plan Stan.

How many more groups or businesses let alone states like Ca. (Ahnooold) and Michigan..Granholm all wanting a bail-out...are going to join in this frenzy?

I cannot believe what I have witnessed, especially the last two months I guess it is now...I just can't.

Bend over and kiss your arse good-bye America as we knew it...we are forked...big-time.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

What is with all this Socialism?

The amount of Socialists in this country amazes me. No surprise they are economically illiterate Democrats.

Censored Global Warming Videos

  Well government subsidy

  Well government subsidy is the only thing that can save newspapers.  Imagine if there were no newspapers and someone sought out investers with a business plan of grinding up trees,rolling them to paper, print yesterdays news on it and then drive them to peoples homes.  Yeah.... that will fly.

dang ya beat me to it

I say we put the MSM newspaper moguls into an arena with Earth Liberation Front and let em fight it out.

member of the Conservative Independant Witness Protection Program since Nov. 5, 2008

  Yep, newspapers are about

  Yep, newspapers are about as non-green as you can get, cut down trees, use lots of fossil fuels for production and distribution just to deliver information available by other means.  Believe you me, if the newspaper business was predominately conservative there would be protestors outside each publishing plant chaining themselves to the front gates.

green newpapers

 amen...it is a very green/left thing to do.  doesn't matter how hypocritical it is.....if it serves a larger good ( read that..their agenda ), it's okay. 

 

"Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason"  Ben Franklin

Ecclesiastes 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left

It's another Do as I

It's another Do as I say...Not as I Do, perfect example.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

bt, can you say

 "al gore, shi++ing carbon all over the planet"...another great example.  not that co2 is a bad thing in my book...but it sure is in al's.

"Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason"  Ben Franklin

Ecclesiastes 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left

Great idea!  Just by-pass

Great idea!  Just by-pass those stupid subscriptions and make everyone in the state pay for 'em...brilliant!

One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.

Print media businesses like

Print media businesses like this that are failing should be left alone to die. It is a natural, healthy thing. Survival of the fittest.  The internet is much more effecient and will totally replace print media without a hitch by market forces unhindered by regulation..  oh s**t..  wait..  give me a second...  it's not a bad dream?  Damn! 

Screw the newspapers.  Save

Screw the newspapers.  Save the trees, eliminate this garbage that is published everyday that feeds stupidity to the masses.  Newspapers are a dying breed; they had a long run but the clock is ticking.  

I live in a college town and I don't know anybody under 30 that reads a newspaper.  Young people get their news from the Internet. 

Green Issue

Let's make this an environmental issue: End newspapers, save trees and forests. Internet news saves trees. Newspaper ink can be toxic.

P.J. O'Rourke

P. J. weighs in, right on que.

http://weeklystandar...

If it moves, tax it.  If

If it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving. subsidize it.