Letter from Ralph Nader to Rush Limbaugh

[Truth2Tell]

If this was already posted here then I missed it.

http://www.nader.org/index.php?/archives/2100-Letter-to-Rush-Limbaugh.html

January 30, 2009

Dear Mr. Limbaugh,

The Associated Press reports your new contract with Premiere Radio Networks will enrich you with at least $38 million a year over the next eight years. You are making this money on the public property of the American people for which you pay no rent.

You, Rush Limbaugh, are on welfare.

As you know, the public airwaves belong to the American people. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is supposed to be our trustee in managing this property. The people are the landlords and the radio and TV stations and affiliated companies are the tenants.

The problem is that since the Radio Act of 1927 these corporate tenants have been massively more powerful in Washington, DC than the tens of millions of listeners and viewers. The result has been no payment of rent by the stations for the value of their license to broadcast. You and your company are using the public's valuable property for free. This freeloading on the backs of the American people is called corporate welfare.

It is way past due for the super-rich capitalist--Rush Limbaugh from Cape Girardeau, Missouri--to get himself off big time welfare. It is way past due for Rush Limbaugh as the Kingboy of corporatist radio to set a capitalist example for his peers and pay rent to the American people for the very lucrative use of their property.

You need not wait for the broadcast industry-indentured FCC and Congress to do the right thing. You can lead by paying a voluntary rent--determined by a reputable appraisal organization--for the time you use on the hundreds of stations that carry your words each weekday.

Payment of rent for the use of public airwaves owned by the American people is the conservative position. Real conservatives oppose corporate welfare. Real corporatists feed voraciously from hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate welfare gushing out of Washington, DC yearly.

Whose side are you on? Freeloading? Or paying rent for the public property you have been using free for many years?

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely yours,

Ralph Nader

[MrSlayer]

1. Lots of luck with that Ralph.

Pigboy's response should be interesting.

[Optical.Catalyst]

6. Rush Limbaugh's response will be to scream at the top of his lungs 'Fairness Doctrine'

Then he will babble some talking points out to his loyal followers to spread hate and discontent against Democrats.

One thing is obvious, Reich Wing radio is scared of a new Fairness Doctrine. We should push our legislators to implement one as soon as possible.

[Frank Cannon]

7. You forgot one other thing Rush Limbaugh will do...

Scarf oxycontin tablets as if they were Tic Tacs.

Oh... and travel to the Dominican Republic with a suitcase of Viagra to pound the asses of teenage boys. (Okay, so that's two things you forgot.)

[Lasher]

2. Ralph who?

Wasn't he like, really big in the sixties or something?

[ima_sinnic]

3. mock all you want, but Ralph Nader has been a lot more spot-on

about things that matter than certain wishy-washy middle-of-the-road don't-rock-the-boat "I'm looking forward and will continue the previous administration policies on not giving Guantanamo detainees fair trials while we all sing kumbaya" people now in power.

[depakid]

4. Nadar was speaking out and working against Republicrat policies during the 90's

when the seeds of the financial meltdown were being sewn....

[Lasher]

8. And Ralph thinks there is no real difference between Democrats and Republicans.

He has jumped the shark. All he has left is a hungry ego. Get over him.

[rvablue]

10. A "hungry ego" , indeed. Never heard it put so well. n/t

[badgerpup]

16. THIS is the Ralph Nader we used to know and respect...

...glad there's still a bit of the guy left. :patriot:

[newfie11]

5. Go get em Nader!!!

Hope you still have the raiders !

[Stevenmarc]

9. Nice try Ralph

Look I dislike Limbaugh as much as anyone here but Ralph's logic just doesn't hold up. If we were to apply this logic to, let's say, public school teachers or police or firemen you can make even a stronger case, not only do they work on public property but they are paid with public funds, I don't think anyone would consider them welfare recipients.


But thanks for the lovely hyperbole Ralph.

[PinkyisBlue]

12. A public school teacher is paid with public funds to do a job that benefits society (the public).

Same with firemen--they are paid with public funds to do work that benefits society.

By no stretch of the imagination can anyone say that conservative talk radio benefits society. Rush Limbaugh works for a private corporation that uses public property to earn profits for that corporation. A portion of the profit should be paid to the public for the use of their property (the airwaves), or the corporation should pay a large leasing fee to the public on a monthly basis for the use of these airwaves. If these fees or payments aren't forthcoming, sounds like welfare to me (public funds used for private gain).

[Stevenmarc]

14. Still not welfare

Yes it is a private corporation and yes the airwaves are controlled by the public and if you are unhappy with the current fee structure then that would be a FCC issue and has nothing to do with the entity holding the license. Now back to Rush's salary, that is privately funded and while his idiotic banter is carried over the public airwaves that in no way makes his salary welfare; it's like a privately owned concession stand sitting on publicly owned park property the concession owner makes their money from private transactions and benefits from the public location.

It's a Swiss cheese argument that does nothing more than gets Ralph's name in the media, quite frankly the quality of the argument and his desperate need for attention diminishes his legacy, it's sad to watch.

[PinkyisBlue]

17. The corporation that is using the public property should pay for the privilege, not Rush.

I don't believe that the salary Rush gets is welfare, but I do think that, since the private company is not working for the benefit of the public but is using publicly owned property, it should pay for it. The FCC should change the fee structure to either make the companies pay for the privilege of using the airwaves or require equal representation from other points of view (although the Democrats could never find anyone as low, mean or corrupt to represent their side like the Republicans have found in Rush). Rush may turn out to be good for the Democrats, if the Republicans keep supporting his vile message.

[Festivito]

11. Brilliantly said. Good on you. Shame on Rush.

May Rush have the sense to feel his own self. I'm sure it would hurt.

[bvar22]

13. Everybody should listen to Ralph.

Nobody should vote for him.

[Truth2Tell]

15. exactly. NT