So now we are going to have to pay for weather information??

[undeterred]

brought to us by our favorite Senator. This is ridiculous. :banghead:

http://washingtontimes.com/business/20050517-093720-1956r.htm

Bill aims to limit weather service
By Chris Baker

Talk about a perfect storm.
Sen. Rick Santorum, a Pennsylvania Republican, introduced legislation last month that would restrict the kind of information that the National Weather Service (NWS) disseminates.
The senator has said he is concerned that the Silver Spring agency threatens private forecasting services, including an employer in his home state. His bill would allow the NWS to issue storm warnings, but it would not be permitted to give out data for free if a private company provides the same kind of information. :banghead:

[tridim]

1. Libraries give out books for free (hurts book store sales)

and the Internet gives out information for free (hurts Faux news). I have to assume those two things are next on his list.

[benny05]

3. Actually Libraries doesn't hurt book sales at all

Sales have gone up in bookstores steadily for years, sometimes because of libraries who have them on online catalogs and links to the tables of contents. Folks would rather pay Barnes & Noble or Amazon than check out a book at times, except for children's books.

[Lisa]

13. people often buy a book or DVD they've "tried out" for free at the library

With some hardcovers costing $20 or more, and the same for DVDs, a lot of us would like to decide whether or not it's worth investing in a personal copy.

[benny05]

16. So that means Libraries are marketing with people's money

and that is OK....some folks love literature and DVDs to wait to invest.

[benny05]

2. The privitization of NWS is like other types of Govt info

We pay for the collection part, then we repay to distribute it.

This is a safety and security issue, not a luxury or privilege.

We will need to write the farmers block: Harkin, Obama, Durbin, Grassley (might listen), Hutchinson, Boxer, Feinstein, Clinton, Kennedy, Leahy, Jeffords, Lott, Smith (of Oregon), Nelson of Florida, Landrieu, Johnson (SD), Nelson and Hegel (NE). Yes, I am including some Repubs because even they know the weather affects the mainstays of their states: agriculture. We will also have to write to our governors, although in my state of Illinois, our governor doesn't know what soybean plants look like. I'll be happy to see who is on the agriculture policies commitees and subcommittees.

I have bud in the United States Agriculture Information Network that will be interested in this, although some probably already know.

[Lisa]

15. this is really going to mess with students and scientists

Many schools and non-governmental organizations just don't have the funds to buy data for research purposes ... I know that when I asked my department to get a $600 local weather archive set that could be used by several undergrad courses and grad students as well, the request was turned down.

If they don't want people to study meteorology, climatology, and hydrology -- this is a great way to go about it. Same thing with census records.

[Flying Dream Blues]

4. Okay,

I'm assuming that the NWS is funded by our money. So, tell me what I'm missing, they should not GOD forbid, perform a public service to the people who pay their salaries? Certainly not if it MIGHT take away profits from private corporations, of course, it makes sense.
:grr:


:wtf:

[benny05]

7. Hey, I'm with you on this

Again, our taxpayer money goes to pay the salaries for collection, but looks as they are proposing to charge for Internet access. I know, it sucks, but this has been going on for more than 20 years; it's just now becoming more apparent to the average consumer since so much government information has been available through the Net.

Likely, they are using the model of the weather.com--meaning it is not free and paid for through cable fees.

I'll have to see where weatherbug is published, as an example.

But I suggest you write your senators, governor, and even Congressmen to stop this nonsense when this has to do with security issues--for all of us.

I suppose FEMA for disasters will no longer be in existence either. :banghead:

[longship]

5. InSanitorium! n/t

.

[kedrys]

6. Saw that on ABC News

And how did I not guess it was that little rat fink f*cker Sanctimonium came up with that f*ucked-up idea???

:mad:

[undeterred]

8. Right in the middle of the story on ABC news my local ABC broke in with

weather information regarding tornadoes and storms which have been going on all afternoon.

A lot of people watch their local news mainly for the weather- take that away, their ratings go down too.

As far as I am concerned weather is totally a health and safety issue- whether its temperature, precipitation, or something more extreme. People who can't afford to subscribe to a service ought to be able to know when the weather is dangerous or even what clothes to wear.

I can't believe how screwed up this is.

[Deja Q]

9. It's America. After all,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3689570

[alfredo]

10. The US Army is in competition with Blackwater. Disband the military

and turn over all military operations to private enterprise. Private enterprise is why we are in Iraq in the first place. Let those fascist bastards field their own armies.

[PghTiny]

11. This is Sanitarium's pet project

A $4000 bribe^H^H^H^H^Hcontribution from AccuWeather's chair is the big reason why this bill is being proposed.

[lonestarnot]

12. This fooker making references to dems as nazis today... he is a fool!

His looks give me agina (sp) Don't have the precise quote, but he was trying to put the hitler spotlight off bushitler and the nuclear option.

[Mandate My Ass]

14. Look up weather derivatives

the newest corporate/neocon rip-off of the masses.

You may soon have to bargain with your electric and heating provider based on extended weather forecasts for the best rates. Of course you'd pay to check the weather rather than get stuck with the highest rates.

[benny05]

17. You sort of do now