SANTORUM has filed a bill to make you PAY for National Weather Service

[Bluebear]

Buying Weather Data Twice
Sen. Santorum puts a price on weather information.

Published on 9/6/2005


Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, wants taxpayers to get weather information only if they pay for it twice. He's filed a bill that would make the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — NOAA — give out routine weather bulletins only if private companies do not provide the same information.

In other words, the agencies can gather data all they want. But the bill would forbid them from giving away critical information to taxpayers unless a private company doesn't sell the same set of facts. The bill also forces the federal government to give the information to these private companies, such as AccuWeather and the 14 other weather forecasting companies, all of which are located in Pennsylvania. Such a coincidence.

For proof of the bill's intent, critics point to a sentence in the proposal that states, “The Secretary of Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a product or service that is or could be provided by the public sector.” (italics ours). How's that for writing a blank check on behalf of parochial interests?

In another amazing coincidence, Joel Meyers, the CEO of AccuWeather, and his brother, Barry Meyers, AccuWeather's executive vice president, have donated more than $11,000 to Mr. Santorum and the Republican Party since 2003.....

http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=5B475746-147C-4536-9BB7-1C5340C2B38C

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Well then...

FUCK AccuWeather and their idiotic commercials on Air America. :puke:

[Bluebear]

2. Wonder how the Gulf coast residents feel about this little bit of filth?

"Culture of life" indeed.

[krkaufman]

3. I'm thinking the Democrats simply need to highlight how this...

... would have affected those in the path of Katrina. Who is running against Santorum next year? We need them to attack Santorum on this, as an example of further deconstruction of effective government agencies necessary for public safety.

Such functions should not be privatized, further increasing the risk to the poor.

[Bluebear]

4. Agree with every word krk. nt

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

7. Casey is the very likely challenger and already leading in every poll

Bob Casey Jr has sooooooo much ammunition against (P)ricky...so little time and so much to burn (P)ricky.

[Bluebear]

10. Good news. nt

[krkaufman]

Thanks for the info.

Excellent related thread just breaking in LBN....

Santorum clarifies Katrina criticism in TV appearances

[Bluebear]

17. Oh good gravy, he is delusional. nt

[alarimer]

19. Casey really needs to emphasize this stuff

Santorum will hang himself given enough rope. All Casey needs to do is play Santorum's assinine comments and tell the voters that a privatized weather service would mean even more people would be dead. Also, what about winter storms? More people would die in those if they were forced to buy weather info. I don't know how Santorum's bill would work but I believe the National Weather Service is vital to national security in every sense of the word.

[krkaufman]

23. Only those who can afford to pay....

... should have access to information. Privatization is All.

[ForrestGump]

5. This is sick

Weather forecasts are the government's province in every country that I'm aware of. Why are scum like this diseased orifice even breathing our precious air?

And if I get my weather info from a commercial source, do I get to sue them when their forecasts are wrong? Do I get to pick the kind of weather I want?

F***ers.

[undeterred]

6. Ah, so it will not only be a prosecutable offense not to evacuate

even when you are unable to, it will be a crime not to be able to afford the weather report. Good thinking, slimeboy.

[Bluebear]

9. GOP! GOP! USA! USA!

WHY does anybody support these bastards?

[CatholicEdHead]

8. This comes up every few months

and is usually buried. I would expect the same thing again this time.

It is still a disgusting bill.

[walldude]

11. Ok lemme get this straight...

Blame the poor people for not leaving. Blame the local government for not doing enough in the Evacuation, and now if you want early warning you must pay. This guy is a fucking idiot.

Gonna be tough to get me to pay. I'm not paying taxes next year if the incompetent morans are still in office. I'm freelance so I have the means not to pay. And I fucking dare them to take me to court. I'll put the whole goddam administration on trial. Where they should be.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Accu-weather is in State College, PA, and run by GOPers

That's why.

The privatization blues...

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. AssHat

------------------------------------------------------
Save the Gulf:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[lildreamer316]

14. This is old.

I remember seeing this early in the year. Did he Re-file?

[walldude]

16. The article was published today

and I have no doubt that Santorum will use this disaster to feed his buddies...

[Bluebear]

25. Even if it is old, WHAT if it had passed prior to Katrina?

These scumsuckers have no soul.

[Bluebear]

26. once more before it falls into the abyss

[SillyGoose]

15. Imbecilic proposal. And could his TIMING be any worse??

This man's brain is not firing on all 4 cylinders.

[raising2moredems]

20. He has no brain...

in his head. And were he truly a man, he'd at least have a part time brain in his pants!

[msanthrope]

18. Keep Talking asshole, Keep Talking........n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

21. I wonder how the people

of New Orleans feel about that eh Santorum? You prick.

[theHandpuppet]

22. Folks, circulate this to every talking head!

I know this info passed under the radar some time ago, but right now it's time to resurrect this baby!

[Bluebear]

24. Exactly why I did!

:toast:

[Roland99]

27. Here's a bit of history on his moves:

Thursday, April 21, 2005
Feds' weather information could go dark
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/news/epaper/2005/04/21/m1a_wx_0421.html

Apr. 21, 2005
Senator aiming to nix federal weather forecasts enjoyed AccuWeather money
http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/santorum_weather_ban_accuweather_421.htm

Fri May 27, 10:47 AM
Santorum's Weather-Related Bill Criticized
http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2005/05/27/142613.html

[Bluebear]

28. kick

[Vinca]

29. I presume this is so they can off more poor people who can't

afford the weather forecast. What is this country coming to?

[dbt]

30. What about Kay Hutchison's Weather MODIFICATION Bill?

S 517 was introduced on March 3, 2005 and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The term `weather modification'' means changing or controlling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial methods the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in the troposphere.

Full text here.

Remember New Orleans.