I believe working has been known to result in the poor occasionally reaching middle class status.

Rahm the Imapaler is famously quoted as saying something like “no crisis should be let to go to waste”.

We see that philosophy in action at this very moment.

Here we have a crisis that ISN”T a crisis. Do you mean to tell me you can’t live without a TV? If that’s the case, you’re pathetic. But there is something more sinister going on here, so perhaps revisiting a quote from one of our founding fathers is in order: James Madison said,

“Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant.”

Unscrupulous politicians from every government that has ever existed have always exploited any disaster to increase their power and to neutralize and marginalize their opponents. This in-coming lot are slick–very slick, indeed, and deft practitioners of the dark art!

Obama Seeks DTV Switch Delay

By Ira Teinowitz

President-elect Barack Obama is urging a delay in the Feb. 17 switch to digital TV signals.

In a letter today to senators and congressmen, John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama transition team, said questions about converter-box coupons and other issues warrant a delay.

“All of the above leads to a conclusion that the Feb. 17 cutoff date for analog signals should be reconsidered and extended,” Mr. Podesta wrote. “With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively mandated analog cutoff date.”

In the letter, sent to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Podesta suggested Congress simply taking action to provide additional coupons isn’t sufficient.

“The funds provided to support the conversion are woefully inadequate. Coupon demand appears headed to a level that will exceed that authorized by Congress. In addition, the government’s programs to assist consumers through the upheaval of the conversion are inadequately funded. There is insufficient support for the problem consumers (particularly low-income, rural and elderly Americans) will experience as a result of the analog signal cutoff.”

The letter also said President-elect Obama’s Economic Recovery Package includes some funding to address the issues.

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, ranking Republican on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, called the delay request “pure panic.”

“How disappointing. We don’t need to bail out the DTV transition program because it isn’t failing, and reintroducing uncertainty to the switch will make things worse instead of better,” said the Texas Republican.

He said the “right thing to do” is to change the accounting rules that currently prevent the Department of Commerce from issuing additional coupons, even though it knows many coupons will go unredeemed.

“Ditching the deadline and slathering on more millions of taxpayer dollars, however, is just panic,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., former chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s telecom committee and still a member of the panel, said President-elect Obama’s request for a delay should be examined promptly.

“President-elect Obama’s call to move back the digital television transition date highlights the vulnerability of millions of Americans to the impending analog signal shutoff. It also underscores the need for prompt Congressional examination of his proposal,” he said.

“Moving the transition date entails significant logistical challenges. However, the prospect of leaving millions of consumers in the dark requires Congress to immediately consider the feasibility of the President-elect’s proposal,” Rep. Markey said. “In addition, Congress should move quickly to address the needs of the millions of American currently on a waiting list for coupons to purchase converter boxes.”

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said it was “too early” to call for a delay to the digital television changeover.

“I am concerned about moving the date of the upcoming digital television transition,” she said. “We need to focus on a solution to the coupon shortage. Shifting the date this close to the transition, without a sound plan to share information about the new transition date, will likely result in significant confusion.” …

http://www.tvweek.com/news/200....._delay.php

We knew this would happen, and it’s just the beginning…

Moreover, when did the government decide it was its duty – and not the free market’s – to decide to mandate technology?

Remember, they’re not only doing this with televisions and lightbulbs, but your health care.

In fact Bush proposed reforms to the GSAs in 2001 that were enacted in 2008, with Laurel and Hardy (Franks and Dodd) voting yes, after the disaster had wrecked the economy.

“When Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama, then chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, pushed for comprehensive GSE reform in 2005, Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut successfully threatened a filibuster. Later, after Fannie and Freddie collapsed, Mr. Dodd asked, “Why weren’t we doing more?” He then voted for the Bush reforms that he once called “ill-advised.”

But Mr. Dodd wasn’t the only Democrat to heap abuse on the Bush reforms. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts defended Fannie and Freddie as “fundamentally sound” and labeled the president’s proposals as “inane.” He later voted for the reforms. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York dismissed Mr. Bush’s “safety and soundness concerns” as “a straw man.” …..
Peter Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute and Charles Calomiris of the Columbia Business School suggest $1 trillion of this debt was subprime and “liar loans,” almost all bought between 2005 and 2007.

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....62585.html

It will never stop until we get Term limits in place.

With no competition, no incentive to improve, no layoffs, they can’t handle the simplest functions competantly. And to top that, their bungled decisions affect millions. Witness….sub-prime lending.

All beaurocracies are equally incompetant. The only reason we think Communist or third-world beaurocracies are worse is that they only have beaurocracies, no free enterprise.

Coming…..Health Care by beauroocrats, Auto Industry by beaurocrats, Energy by beaurocrats.

But Obamy and Teddy aren’t concerned…..they will always get tip-top service…just like the Russian Commisars.