PAC-14 and Global Warming – Part I

Last July we outlined a plan by a group led by some folk at Salisbury University to seize our community television station – PAC-14.  The public reaction was sufficient that the group ran for cover.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the battle is over.

That doesn’t mean that the battle is over.  No, they’re back with a vengeance.  They’ve just changed the rhetoric a little in hopes that they can persuade some of our elected officials to hand over $200,000 (and raise your cable rates) with NO ACCOUNTABILITY.

What has any of this to do with global warming?  Nothing with the weather and a whole lot with the rhetoric.

Have you noticed that none of the chicken littles who want you all peddling to work on bicycles talks about “GLOBAL WARMING” anymore?  Instead, we hear about “CLIMATE CHANGE”.  That way, they can can still try to cripple our economy despite the fact that “GLOBAL WARMING” has been discredited.  It’s harder to argue with “CLIMATE CHANGE” since weather patterns have always moved in both long and short term cycles.

The same with PAC-14.  Their argument is the same.  The players are basically the same.  They have just changed the rhetoric in hopes that they can get what they want this time.  They claim:

• Their approach is the CONSERVATIVE approach to governing PAC-14

• Allowing the city and county governments to appoint the PAC-14 Board will result in CENSORSHIP

• The COMMUNITY will govern PAC-14

• The funding for PAC-14 will be coming from COMCAST

• Those of us in favor of accountability are merely “THROWING BOMBS” and attempting to DESTROY PAC-14.

None of these claims are true.  That doesn’t matter.  This group wants control of our local community access channel and will do whatever it takes to seize control.  In their hearts they may honestly believe that they are merely acting in our best interest.  Given the fact that they are unwilling to publicly discuss their plans, AND they are unwilling to be accountable to the public we are forced to question their motives.  Given their unwillingness to discuss alternatives, we can only surmise that this is all about CONTROL.  With this control they will not only be able to dictate what we see, their plan includes raising your cable rates to allow more spending.

If you want to hand over hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars to a group with NO ACCOUNTABILITY.  Fine.  Understand this.  There will be no turning back.  IF this group is successful, neither the city nor the county governments will ever possess the political or moral courage to rein them in.

Tomorrow we’ll begin looking at the specific arguments being put forward by this group and why they are not in our best interest.