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The "Big Bird" Campaign... You'll never forget it!!

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posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:27 AM
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I have a feeling that this will be the everlasting image of Obama's 2012 race to the bottom. They are not even backing down after the Big Bird himself asked them to stop using his image...

Here is what you really need to know about Big Bird, Sesame Workshop and PBS in general...

First only $445 million a year is spent on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and that amounts to just a tiny fraction of our entire budget and massive deficit. But, does the CPB really need the money to prosper?

Here we go... follow the numbers


It should come as no surprise that cutting Big Bird off the US dole would save very little money, relatively speaking. In part that’s because Sesame Workshop, the company that produces “Sesame Street,” gets most of its money from sources other than Uncle Sam.

Let’s look at the numbers. According to the latest Internal Revenue Service Form 990 financial disclosure that Sesame Workshop has made public, its total revenue for 2009 was about $130 million. Of that, about $7.9 million came directly from government grants.


$130 million in total revenue for 2009 for Sesame Workshop alone!! only $7.9 million came from federal grants

Fee Revenue

Now, Big Bird gets program fees from stations, too. Sesame Workshop lists $27 million in content distribution revenue. Some of that comes from federal dollars funneled to local PBS entities, though the Form 990 doesn’t break that out.



We’ll go back to Sesame Workshop to illustrate this point. According to a pie chart of the group’s financials, 35 percent of the group’s cash comes from corporate, foundation, and government support. As we’ve seen, the “government” part of that isn’t very big.

Another 33 percent comes from product licensing. That’s all the Elmo dolls and so forth that clutter kids’ bedrooms around America. A final 32 percent comes from distribution fees and royalties.


Here's the kicker!!! A well compensated CEO!!


Sesame Workshop president and CEO Gary Knell got $684,144 in reportable compensation from his job.


So, rest assured boys and girls, Big Bird will be just fine as will the rest of PBS. They will just have to modify their business model to generate more revenue via ad sales like every other network in existence today.

Don't buy the never ending hype circulated ad nausea ffrom the Obama Camp. Clearly, they never thought people would actually check the numbers. As usual. Sleep well knowing that the next Tickle Me Elmo doll you buy will help keep Big Bird on the air. Funny how those open and free markets work...

Ask yourself why this is the only issue important enough for them to comment on constantly while dodging every other issue vital to the health of our nation.

www.csmonitor.com...




edit on 10-10-2012 by jibeho because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:41 AM
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reply to post by jibeho
 


Who cares? It's not a bid deal.

You are picking one half of the argument and ignoring the rest.

How about we take it down to basics and see where that gets us?
This isn't just about PBS and Sesame street. It is about Romney's ill conceived plan. We aren't talking about what PBS costs and makes, we are talking about Romney's choices to save the country money! PBS is just one tiny tiny part of it. He would have to make hundreds or thousands of cuts like that to save us real money and we end up losing a lot of things that people enjoy. I would call PBS and Sesame Street a real part of America's culture. You probably would do if it wasn't an artifact to spin at the moment.

So Romney wants to cut PBS which is about .008 percent of government spending. That is Romney in a nutshell. It's a perfect analogy for his policy towards people. He would rather have the many "poor" pay more. than the few "rich." He would rather cut many many small programs (many of which are American staples like PBS and NPR) rather than a few big cuts for programs that are superfluous spenders like the defense budget. There are many departments (like Fema and even Dept of education) yet he doesn't actually want to save money.. he wants to make the cuts to everyone but his friends. His friends are in higher places then Sesame street.

I get so frustrated that you guys are so blind to this Romney Obama thing. They are almost the same guy.. but Romney is actually worse (and to me it's hard to believe that anyone could be).

Also while I am here I will bring up another area where you are unbeknownst to you attacking something from Obama that Romney directly supports and would have even done up bigger than Obama had he been in office. You have said that Romney should call out Obama in the debates for the lies about the Libya attacks, but Romney would have had the same thing and actually supports continuing it. The attacks happened because we funded middle eastern rebels and they used the weapons against us, but just within the last week Romney himself has said he would fund rebels in Syria. So he wants to continue doing the exact thing which caused the attack in Libya. Romney wants more American deaths caused by our own ignorance and our own weapons.

Please you guys supporting Romney get a clue.

Vote Gary Johnson, write in Ron Paul. Just do something sensible for once in your lives.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:43 AM
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PBS is the best investment our government has ever made.
It has educated more people than the Dept. of Education ever will.

But I guess bombs are more important...



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:44 AM
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reply to post by GogoVicMorrow
 


It all ads up fool! Cutting PBS is only one avenue on the map to save money by stopping the unnecessary bleeding. End the US Dept. of Education while they are at it... Focus on the states!!



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:50 AM
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reply to post by jibeho
 





It all ads up fool!

Lol good one.

I know it A-D-D-S up obviously AS I STATED THAT, but why cut a cultural icon that people actually enjoy? I bet if you gave people an option of cutting a bomb or cutting a television show they and their kids watch every day all would choose the bombs. Guess what? Their funding is just a handful of bombs.
Call me a fool when you are the one being foolish. You are supporting absolute ignorance.
It makes more sense to cut one overblown program then it does to cut many programs that people enjoy. Especially such a tiny one. It was almost just a ploy to rile people up. It was an absolute ignorant thing to say and an even more ignorant thing to do to go after PBS. It shows he doesn't understand what needs to be cut. He thinks PBS should be cut? He isn't thinking even close to the right direction. If you think he is then you should both be wearing dunce caps. It honestly showed his ignorance and disconnection with the people and what this country needs.
edit on 10-10-2012 by GogoVicMorrow because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:50 AM
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Public Broadcasting monies has always bewildered me.

One side says they cant cut it because they need it yet it's such a small amount why threaten to cut it in the first place.

The other side says a penny saved is a penny earned and it's such a small amount anyway why are you so butt hurt about cutting it.

So both parties agree it's an insignificant amount yet one is always fighting tooth and nail to keep it.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:51 AM
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"only $445,000,000"

In the past there wouldn't have been an "only" in front of that. Now that we talk in terms of trillions we think somehow $445,000,000 is not a lot of money.

I do not know of many businesses that would view $445,000,000 a small amount of money. It would be an obscene amount of money for our company which employs over 200 people. At the American average salary that would pay the salaries of more than 10,000 people but PBS is listed as employing between 500 and 1000.

This is the government picking and choosing winners and losers and funding political engineering. PBS is not just about Big Bird. It has long run politically based news programs and specials.

Let us reinvest that $445,000,000 toward rebuilding our industrial and manufacturing base in the United States to actually employ people. I suggest that differently than what Obama did when he rewarded his campaign donors by investing 400+ million in a fake company which laid off its employees before Obama's term was even up.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:51 AM
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reply to post by jibeho
 


Last night was Canasta night at our house and the whole Big Bird issue was a subject of debate during the game. What we all finally agreed on was that Big Bird isn't going away whether subsidized by the government or not.

Firstly, Sesame Street isn't limited to only airing on PBS anymore, and hasn't been for quite a while. Anyone with small children or grandchildren can tell you that it runs on other networks as well. We don't even watch PBS, but my grandchild watches Sesame Street and other character related shows on Sprout and also OnDemand. We have DVDs as well.

Walk into any store with a toy department and you will see licensed Sesame Street characters populating the shelves. The clothing department has clothes picturing the characters, backpacks with Big Bird and Elmo are abundant, as well as folders, etc, in the school supply department. There are story books and coloring books featuring Sesame Street characters in the book section, and DVDs and CDs in the electronics area.

Big Bird is big business, and he will survive just fine even if the government ceases to subsidize him. Big Bird is making money hand over fist- heck, I've bought enough of his licensed image in the past few years to probably pay for at least part of an episode!



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:53 AM
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It seems to me that Romney only brought this up because of who the moderator of the debate was..and Romney wasn't afraid to tell him to his face that, if he is elected President that the guy is going to have to get by without Federal dollars to pay his salary.

The savings would, of course, be trivial in the overall scheme of things...but it was said within the larger context of Romney saying his test would be, "is this expenditure important enough that we should borrow the money from China?"

If not, he said, then under his Presidency he would not spend the money.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 10:56 AM
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reply to post by ararisq
 


It's not about the money. I agree it is a lot of money. It's about the fact that Romney is so out of touch that he would start at the complete wrong end when making cuts. He would cut the few things that people enjoy or help in a rough time before even considering cutting the things that are way overblown and actually need to be cut.

I am a libertarian so I do believe in cutting such things, but it's definitely not the place to start. Consider making those cuts when the government is smaller and those monies have an effect on the governments ability to perform. This proves Romney is completely out of touch even further. The first cuts need to be to the military and "defense." TSA, FEMA. Let's see how much is going into that garbage and let's start there LOOONG before we consider cutting PBS.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 11:41 AM
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Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by ararisq
 


It's not about the money. I agree it is a lot of money. It's about the fact that Romney is so out of touch that he would start at the complete wrong end when making cuts. He would cut the few things that people enjoy or help in a rough time before even considering cutting the things that are way overblown and actually need to be cut.

I am a libertarian so I do believe in cutting such things, but it's definitely not the place to start. Consider making those cuts when the government is smaller and those monies have an effect on the governments ability to perform. This proves Romney is completely out of touch even further. The first cuts need to be to the military and "defense." TSA, FEMA. Let's see how much is going into that garbage and let's start there LOOONG before we consider cutting PBS.


It's just one step in the process of shrinking the reach and hold of the Federal Govt. As a Libertarian YOU should understand that. How is Romney out of touch?? He simply mentioned one small facet of a greater plan to reduce spending/funding. The ball has to start rolling at some point and all of those attached to PBS will survive just fine without Federal Grants. Many PBS shows have become big business with the beginning and ending 5 to 7 minutes of each broadcast dedicated to commercials for private "underwriters" who sponsor the programs. Cut them loose!!

Just one part of the plan
Educate yourself

The Federal Government Should Stop Doing Things The American People Can’t Afford, For Instance:

Repeal Obamacare — Savings: $95 Billion. President Obama’s costly takeover of the health care system imposes an enormous and unaffordable obligation on the federal government while intervening in a matter that should be left to the states. Mitt will begin his efforts to repeal this legislation on Day One.
Privatize Amtrak — Savings: $1.6 Billion. Despite requirement that Amtrak operate on a for-profit basis, it continues to receive about $1.6 billion in taxpayer funds each year. Forty-one of Amtrak’s 44 routes lost money in 2008 with losses ranging from $5 to $462 per passenger.
Reduce Subsidies For The National Endowments For The Arts And Humanities, The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, And The Legal Services Corporation — Savings: $600 Million. NEA, NEH, and CPB provide grants to supplement other sources of funding. LSC funds services mostly duplicative of those already offered by states, localities, bar associations and private organizations.
Eliminate Title X Family Planning Funding — Savings: $300 Million. Title X subsidizes family planning programs that benefit abortion groups like Planned Parenthood.
Reduce Foreign Aid — Savings: $100 Million. Stop borrowing money from countries that oppose America’s interests in order to give it back to them in the form of foreign aid.

www.mittromney.com...

Did I have any typos in this post??


A vote for the third party is a vote for Obama!!

edit on 10-10-2012 by jibeho because: (no reason given)

edit on 10-10-2012 by jibeho because: Typo



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 01:26 PM
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Big Bird was cool but is over rated IMO. I'm glad PBS wont be shut down by the Gov pulling out. I'd hate to see my hero Bob Ross go away. (no kidding I learned to paint Ala Prima because of Bob)

When I was young I watched British BBC rebroadcast on PBS. The Tomorrow People. Blake's 7. Doctor Who. Monty Pythons Flying Circus - not to mention Nova. Some of the best programming on the Planet. this was Pre-cable TV. PBS Ruled.



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 01:35 PM
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Look,
I'm not into the partisan games,
but I just have to say this,
the conservatives shouldn't cut Big Bird,
he should be drafted! and made to Serve in Afganistan!

Republican's don't let this opportunity pass.
Get that birds boots' on the ground!


Mike Grouchy
edit on 10-10-2012 by mikegrouchy because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 01:41 PM
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reply to post by jibeho
 


One small facet? LOL that's one way of looking at it.

Here's the thing you goofy people can't seem to grasp.. he isn't going to repeal obamacare, he already went back on that. So add that back to the total.

See that's where you are wrong. Because Romney's ideas are as far from Libertarian as they get. He is pro universal healthcare and pro gun control. He only says he wants to take away from these programs because he has to say he will cut spending somewhere but he has to look dissimilar to Obama and say he won't shrink defense.

I would love to see an entire list of his cuts, how many would he have to make to hit one whole percent? I am not opposed to cutting things, I am just opposed to idiots cutting stupid things first. Wasting time when a better candidate knows what to cut and will cut it immediately instead of jerking around making a thousand cuts that don't do anything but annoy the public.
edit on 10-10-2012 by GogoVicMorrow because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 10 2012 @ 01:50 PM
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reply to post by littled16
 


Thats true... Sesame street (here at least) is on sprout. And PBS doesn't even have the same shows as it use to. And with all the kids channels they have now, and annoying shows like Gabba Gabba n Dora the explorer, PBS wont be missed by many kids under 5.... IDK any kids over 5 who watch that stuff nowdays .....







 
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