Republicans vs the National Weather Service

[Joey Liberal]

..National Weather Service Threatened Shutdown...

details.....

http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=185198&c=96

[Shoeempress]

1. And Accuweather gave money to "Man on Dog" santorum, although I am

sure it is merely a coincidence. (Sarcasm) This is such an f'd up idea, where are pilots, both commercial and private, going to get their info?

[Joey Liberal]

2. Faux News I guess n/t

[Shoeempress]

5. I feel safer flying already.

[redsoxliberal]

3. as a weather follower

I think it's a terrible idea. Accuweather is, imho, the worst weather service of the three (NWS and TWC) though TWC isn't too far ahead. NWS is the best forecasting service in the world I think... and if AccuWeather was in charge of providing forecasts, every few days we would be under a blizzard warning or hurricane watch... and when it was really coming no one would even pay attention.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Just another variation on theft. The government is the eneny of

we citizens....thieves, theft, victims. Yank it out of our hands. All the right wing goverment leaders (and sometimes, some of the dem leaders).

[jedr]

6. Have I fallen down the rabbit hole or;

is it not that some of our tax dollars go to NWS so that farmers and truckers and fishing boats etc. may have use of this service? if Accu-weather wants to be in this game they knew what the rules were....why do I have to pay taxes and pay for a weather report...just an other liberal who doesn't get it!

[Democracy White]

7. Eh, at long as it uses tax payers money

it ain't good, to the Republicans at least.

If they cut tax funding from the NWS, what are we going to do about forecasting the weather?

Dee

[jedr]

9. it's not good only ;

If it goes to the good of the common people. that makes it socialism to them. However if it goes to big business then it's good to them, that's fascisms to us.I wonder if the weather report will trickle down to me some day from my bosses desk? I can only hope!

[Coastie for Truth]

8. This poses a clear and present danger to the public

Here's the full text--->

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., stirred up a growing storm with a bill introduced on April 14 that would restrict the availability of weather information provided now by the National Weather Service for free to the general public. Among the products removed from public access would be weather data and radar through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Web sites. Though Santorum claims the NWS would compete unfairly with such commercial sites as AccuWeather and the Weather Channel, both for-profit services use basic data provided by the NWS as well as other information from other sources and repackage it for target markets.

What Santorum fails to point out is that taxpayers have already paid for the information produced by the NWS through their taxes. The NWS’ own guiding principles point out that: “Remember always that the taxpayers own the data, and that open and unrestricted dissemination of publicly funded information is good policy and is the law.”
Why should taxpayers have to pay a private service for something already produced for the general welfare? Or, why should for-profit companies have access to the weather data but deny that data to the public whose taxes paid for it? Would that not in effect make the resources of the NWS the private preserve of for-profit companies without any investment on their part? The increasing sophistication of weather data and individual computer users makes creating your own forecasts, following storms in real time and tailoring weather data for personal or business use a common practice, not an arcane pursuit.

AccuWeather executive vice president Barry Myers, based in Santorum’s home state, claimed the agency was not focusing on its primary mission of protecting other people’s lives and property in a Palm Beach Post article. Asking the NWS to only predict dangers is about as sensible as turning on burglar alarms only when the burglar is on the premises. AccuWeather and the Weather Channel would benefit from any restriction of weather data to the general public. They also would be able to crowd out any smaller companies from finding niche markets with weather data freely available. That in itself could be seen as a restriction of trade. What would happen should the providing companies decide that certain areas of the country are not profitable enough to justify their services? Would rural areas be out of luck?

-http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=185198&c=96

What makes Santorum's proposal particularly bad is that we are in for a bad hurricane season

NOAA hurricane forecasters are predicting another above-normal hurricane season on the heels of last year's destructive and historic hurricane season. "NOAA's prediction for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is for 12 to 15 tropical storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator at a news conference today in Bay St. Louis, Miss. "Forecaster confidence that this will be an active hurricane season is very high."


<>


<snip><<

NOAA image of 2005 Atlantic hurricane season outlook. NOAA's Atlantic hurricane outlook reflects an expected continuation of above-average activity that began in 1995. Since that time all but two Atlantic hurricane seasons have been above-normal.

<snip><<

Although it's too soon to predict where and when a storm may hit land, NOAA still cautions the public to be prepared.

-http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2438.htm

I donate several hundred hours per year of community service to a major "emergency response-disaster recovery" NGO. And, from a disaster preparedness point of view this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen.


-Disaster Assistance Team Captain
-Mass Disaster Sheltering and Feeding Team Captain

AMERICAN RED CROSS -

TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE A LIFE

THIS IS THE APPENDERS' PERSONAL OPINION AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS OR PROFESSIONAL STAFF

[HuckleB]

10. Ugh.

This is classic Republican policy. Get the taxpayers to pay for the real work, and then let some "middle man" sell it to them again for more money.

It's the American Way!

[HuckleB]

11. Bunt.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Dang, but that was spot on!