So how's Santorum's bill to take away free weather reports going lately?

[blm]

Just so those tuning in recently are reminded exactly what kind of mental giants the GOP puts in control of American lives.

[whistle]

1. "Santorum's bill to take away free weather reports ", please explain

...or give link

[blm]

5. Sorry, I assumed evryone knew about it at DU. Here ya go....

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/4/22/112939/284


>>>>
The bill, introduced last week by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., would prohibit federal meteorologists from competing with companies such as AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, which offer their own forecasts through paid services and free ad-supported Web sites.
>>>>

Read it and be disgusted.

[PA Democrat]

10. What was Santorum's price tag for this legislation?

If I recall wasn't something like an $11,000 contribution from Acu-Weather? Nice to know that Santorum can be bought so cheaply.

[bee]

2. omg... i thought this was a joke...

heres the link
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/4/22/112939/284

and a snip

The bill, introduced last week by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., would prohibit federal meteorologists from competing with companies such as AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, which offer their own forecasts through paid services and free ad-supported Web sites.

[klook]

6. He's got it backwards

The Weather Channel gets content DIRECTLY from NOAA!!! I know somebody who used to work there, and a lot of their information is just gussied-up data that's freely available from NOAA (although not as easy to digest; see http://www.nws.noaa.gov/organization.php). Probably same thing for Accuweather.

[blm]

8. Sad to say, it isn't a joke. Not that his asinine bill will pass now

anyway, but it does illustrate how completely devoid the fascist Republicans are of any sense or compassion.

[Trillo]

3. It irks me no end that taxpayers paid

for all of those weather satellites, and the idea that anyone would seek to privatize them stinks of Gouge our Poor (GOP) cronyism.

[FightingIrish]

4. I wonder who would be most affected by this great idea?

I'm sure that people who can barely afford to feed themselves would be happy to pay for an advanced warning of impending doom.

[Deb]

7. Last I looked it was still in committee

and it should die there.

I've been looking for a thread on this. John Kerry sits on the committee and I'm hoping that he informs us about any more developments.

Maybe one of his constituents from DU could call his office?

Here is the bill for anyone interested-

National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005 (Introduced in Senate)

S 786 IS1S

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:s786:

(edit to include bill s 786)

[Beowulf]

9. AccuWeather is headquartered

in State College, PA.

[KamaAina]

11. "To find out if a hurricane is headed your way, please send $9.95 to..."

Rick Santorum
P.O. Box 666
Arlington, VA, er, I mean Pittsburgh

What an assclown.

[blm]

12. bwahahaha....you nailed it.

.