PBS chief: 'I wish I knew' why Trump wants to defund us

[left-of-center2012]

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/27/trump-defund-pbs-ceo-kerger-1237656

For the third year in a row, the Trump administration’s proposed federal budget would zero-out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger doesn’t understand why.

President Trump’s proposed 2020 federal budget, which was released on March 11, would eliminate all taxpayer funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over a two-year timespan, cutting the organization’s annual appropriation in the first year from $465 million to $30 million, or 94 percent. More than 70 percent of the CPB’s annual funding goes to local public TV and radio stations.

The past two years, Congress has essentially ignored Trump’s suggestion to defund public broadcasting, continuing its appropriations at essentially the same levels that have been doled out annually for the past decade.

“The late, great Gwen Ifill used to say often, ‘Our job is to bring light, not heat to the conversation.’ And I really take that so much to heart,” Kerger said. “If we can focus on having an honest conversation where we can truly talk to one another, I think that is really at the heart of how our democracy was founded. And I think that … is a huge effort towards bringing civility back to conversation, so that we truly listen to one another and look for those areas of common purpose.”

[Corgigal]

1. Cause he's a dick.

PBS you should have know that, all NY'ers do. It's why we hate the guy and very few voted for him. He wants us to envy him, but most of us see him as a joke. A pathetic joke. I don't know if any of us average life people would ever exchange our life for his miserable existence.

[area51]

2. Because an educated public ...

won't vote republican.

[dogman]

3. It's a gop dream.

So is he.

[2naSalit]

4. All of the above

along with the fact that less public funding means more private funding... from the likes of the kochtopus who will have to approve of what "news" is reported and how, as we see now only worse. He wants all broadcasting to be his propaganda machine.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. The GOP has been trying to kill off PBS for years.

They think the government shouldn't actually do anything useful for people. Trump wants to do it because he's a dick. But it's just a proposed budget and it won't go anywhere, especially since Dems control the house.

[rusty quoin]

7. For decades...I remember the 90s well and how they went after PBS and NPR.

[Initech]

6. You really have to ask? The answer is pretty simple.

He's a colossal asshole!

[Arkansas Granny]

8. I've been hearing for years that PBS is a liberal, elitist organization. It has been a target for

conservatives for a long time. They seem to feel that being exposed to differing points of view is a bad thing.

To paraphrase Gwen Ifill, she said that her job was not to tell you what to think, but to give you the facts so you could make up your own mind.

I really miss her.

[Turbineguy]

9. "I wish I knew!"

Really?

You wanna get lotsa dough?

Try this: "Mr Trump has a huge schlong! And I love him!"

[Thekaspervote]

10. Because they use big words, tell the truth, causes one to think, dotard ain't having any of that

[eppur_se_muova]

11. "that...is a huge effort towards bringing civility back to conversation" answered his own question. nt