$4 Billion Oil Subsidies vs $0.223 Billion PBS Subsidies annually -- Which would you Cut?

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday October 06, 2012 · 10:38 AM PDT

2012/10/06 · 10:38

Facts are a stubborn things. Inconvenient too, for Politicians that avoid them like exercise and spinach.

Facts let us do "Apples and Oranges" comparisons. And such factual comparisons give us a window into a Politician's personal priorities.

When Mitt Romney attacks American cultural icons like Bird Bird and PBS -- it tell us something very concrete about what he really values.

Why It’s Hard To Trust Romney On Oil Subsidies

by Rebecca Leber, thinkprogress.org -- Oct 4, 2012

[...]
The world’s five largest oil corporations, which include Exxon, receive $2.4 billion tax breaks annually, not the “small drillers” as Romney claims. Annual tax breaks for the entire oil and gas industry total $4 billion. The Center for American Progress details the specific deductions and tax breaks that oil companies receive at taxpayers’ cost.
The public overwhelmingly favors ending these permanent tax breaks, at the same time Republicans claim they don’t exist. While the five largest oil companies earned $137 billion profit last year, and $60 billion for the first half of 2012, they paid relatively low taxes, like ExxonMobil’s 13 percent federal effective tax rate.

Mitt Romney has indicated that such Federal ~~Funding~~ pampering of traditional carbon-clogging Big Oil Energy dispensers -- is just fine by him.

Now let's compare that "oil and gas industry total $4 billion" sensible subsidy Apple, with that "outrageous Orange" that PBS gets. This "China-borrowed expense" as Mitt Romney puts it, is an austere luxury he thinks is breaking the Federal bank.

Big Bird fired? Cut wouldn't end PBS or balance budget.

by Schuyler Velasco, Correspondent, csmonitor.com -- Oct 4, 2012

[...]
Furthermore, the budget benefits would be miniscule. The CPB’s [Corporation of Public Broadcasting] two-year, $445 million government grant makes up less than 1/100th of a percent of a Federal Budget worth upwards of $3.5 trillion. Think Progress blogger Alyssa Rosenberg details all of the proposed arts funding in Obama’s 2013 budget, including subsidies for the Smithsonian Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. The total funding is $1.55 billion, still a tiny fraction of overall spending.

$445 million government CPB grant for 2 years = $0.445 billion

Divide by 2 to get the annual expense PBS imposes on the Federal Government:

$0.4450 billion / 2 = $0.2225 billion for 1 year of PBS content

Versus about $4.0 billion in annual breaks for Oil and Gas Industries.

Which "wasteful, unnecessary" Federal Subsidy do you think Mitt Romney is setting his Veto Pen sights on? ... SuperPACs willing.

Well according Mitt Romney himself -- speaking to over 60 millions viewers in the first presidential debate -- Mitt does not like the Subsidies that help children get a head start on their education, on their lives. Nor does Mitt support the meager subsidy that help adults continue their life-long learning too -- with the quality content that PBS provides.

These are "some priorities" Willard ...

Mitt Romney loves Big Bird, will kill funding for him anyway

by Robin Abcarian, LATimes.com -- Oct 3, 2012

Then, looking at moderator Lehrer, Romney said, “I’m sorry, Jim, I’m gonna stop the subsidy to PBS…. I like PBS, I love Big Bird -- I actually like, you too -- but I am not going to keep spending money on things [we have] to borrow money from China to pay for.”

So PSB -- Mitt Romney has the budget axe for you. And Big Oil -- wink, nod just keep what you're doing -- Mitt Romney is there to keep your grimy wheels greased.

Orange subsidies Nay; Apple subsidies Yeah -- Those are Politician Romney's stark priorities -- on how he would govern.

Oddly, Mr Romney also gave us another window into his empty Grinch-like billionaire soul:

"The place you put your money makes a pretty clear indication of where your heart is."

So by firing Big Bird, Romney is telegraphing that his heart is NOT with America's Kids.

Some things we invest in as a free Society return to us, intangible value -- worth WAAAAY more than the minor cost in social-overhead spending we decide to invest in them.

PBS explains some those intangible values that they as a civic-minded organization provide on a daily basis -- all for an unbelievably low cost:

PBS Responds To Romney: Cutting Federal Funding Would Have ‘Virtually No Impact’ On Deficit

by Meenal Vamburkar, mediaite.com -- Oct 4, 2012

Per the [PBS] statement:

For more than 40 years, Big Bird has embodied the public broadcasting mission -- harnessing the power of media for the good of every citizen, 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.
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 2-8.

Each day, the American public receives an enduring and daily return on investment that is heard, seen, read and experienced in public media broadcasts, apps, podcasts and online -- all for the cost of about $1.35 per person per year.

Would you "spend $1.35 per person per year" to keep PBS and Sesame Street alive?

Most people would say sure thing -- that's a no-brainer.

Mitt Romney says 'Not so fast PBS -- we can no longer afford to mortgage our future to China. Sorry Big Bird.'

I say, we can't afford not to.

Shoot foreign countries are tripping over each other to invest their funds in America. Even taking "negative interest rates" at times, in exchange for the rock-solid investor security ... but that's another "apples and oranges" story for another day.

Let's just say "their heart" lies with us. Land of the Free. With Opportunity for ALL.

Poll
55 votes Show Results
Which would you Cut?

$4.0 Billion in Oil Subsidies

$0.223 Billion in PBS Subsidies

Big Birds feathers

Mitt Romney's hair (or his Mic)

the price of coconut pies

55 votes Vote Now!
Which would you Cut?

$4.0 Billion in Oil Subsidies

33 votes

$0.223 Billion in PBS Subsidies

15 votes

Big Birds feathers

0%

0 votes

Mitt Romney's hair (or his Mic)

7 votes

the price of coconut pies

0%

0 votes

This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member.

Make YOUR voice heard!

$4 Billion Oil Subsidies vs $0.223 Billion PBS Subsidies annually -- Which would you Cut?

Comments are closed on this story.