Congress can't make newspapers non-profit. For most practical purposes, they already are. It seems to me this would be better characterized as a way of changing the rules to permit them to continue to fail. That's not a new approach for Dems. Given that their only hope for survival might be due to the largesse of the American tax payer, compensation should be made public, tightly capped - and a portion of their pay should come in the form of food stamps and other social welfare payment options. Of course, in the case of the New York Times, this can only happen after Pinch and Co are forced to liquidate all their wealth.
There's no shame in that, right? And even if there were, so what? The last election cycle proved that these media folks have no shame at all. So I doubt these policies will leave a mark. We, as tax payers, might even have some fun being their new boss.
PAYOFF? U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers. The bill will make them nonpartisan — like NPR.
I like the govt controlled newspaper idea.
I figure it took several days to print up a trillion.
With a few modifications to the existing print machines at these companies, the obama admin can print up 100 trillion in no time.
Posted by: mark l. | Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Non-profit "newspapers", organized under the federal tax code set up by Congress, PROVIDED they give up a chunk of their former rights guaranteed under the First Amendment? (You know, the inconvenient part declaring "Congress shall.. make no law...abridging the freedom of... the press..")
WTF???
OK, I guess you can make the argument that such lapdogs, such purring kitties in the lap of Dr. Evil, are not the "Press" the Founders were thinking of.
But still: government-approved non-profit newspapers, just like Pravda and Izvestia.
NO chance they would be bent to the whim and will of the Congress and the White House. Naaaahhhh...
What a complete inversion of American principles.
One would hope that those at the NY Times with any remaining journalistic integrity would be hurling themselves from the upper floors of their Manhattan HQ rather than professionally soil themselves in such a manner.
Posted by: Anna Keppa | Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Next on deck from our elected idiots: "The Buggy Whip Factory Relief and Preservation Act."
"The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live."
Oh yeah.
Posted by: MarkJ | Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 11:17 PM
"Nice little non-profit you got here. I would hate to see anything... happen to it..."
Posted by: Nancy "Little Caesar" Pelosi | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 12:13 AM
Given that their only hope for survival might be due to the largesse of the American tax payer, compensation should be made public, tightly capped - and a portion of their pay should come in the form of food stamps and other social welfare payment options. -I couldn't agree with you more here. Besides, newspapers technically are nonprofit I have to agree with you on that too.
Posted by: Imee | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 05:08 AM
AMTRAK
Posted by: OCBill | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 10:04 AM
If the abomination passes, what are the chances that the Administration will demand that household incomes over $250K be taxed at 90% for any reporter or editor working for a nonpartisan newspaper?
I can't imagine Maureen Down, Paul Krugman, Bob Herbert, or the other "journalists" would be to keen on having their compensation capped.
Wouldn't that be interesting?
Posted by: Jim Durbin | Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 12:38 AM