[Dialogue] Re Save NPR and PBS

Tue Feb 15 12:58:04 CST 2011

Among other cuts:  Community Health Centers provide primary care to underserved communities.  The cut of $1.3 billion (from a $2.5 billion budget) will mean that we will shut down clinical services in four sites and not open as planned in another site where a non-profit clinic shut its doors in July.  A relatively small number of people – about 2,000 – will lose health care services.  Some of those will drive to another site.  Some will just wait longer and finally be seen in an emergency room.  Two of these towns are about 100 miles from El Paso.  They are 30 miles from a rural hospital in Van Horn – which will also lose the roughly $60,000 we’ve been paying them for part time physician care.  That will make their bottom line unstable.  

The rationale in the news release: Part of ‘Health Care Reform.’  But without the insurance coverage promised in the reform, Community Health Centers become more critical in providing cost effective care to people who have no other option but the emergency room.

Bill Schlesinger

Project Vida

3607 Rivera Avenue

El Paso, TX 79905

(915) 533-7057 x 207

(915) 533-7158 FAX

 <mailto:pvida at whc.net> pvida at whc.net

www.projectvidaelpaso.org

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From: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of R Williams
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 7:00 AM
To: Colleague Dialogue
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Re Save NPR and PBS

Marilyn,

Thank you for calling us back to the big picture and our own strategic understanding.  I too am not keen to settle for either/or but I fear, unfortunately, the decision makers must, including the President.  So I play this game with myself.  If I were in Congress and knew I was going to have to make some give-and-take concessions in order to get anything done, what would I be willing to give up and where would I draw the line?  I remember Justin Morrill admonishing me years ago that "you can't be willing to die for everything."

So, if I were to decide to communicate with my representatives, what would I tell them they should absolutely not touch?  In my case I'm dealing with Rep. Jeb Hensarling and Sens. Kaye Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn.  Unfortunately, and I'm trying hard to be realistic rather than cynical, anything I have to say to them will likely fall on deaf ears.  Nonetheless, they need to hear that not all of their constituents believe as they do.  

Thanks for helping keep this important conversation going.

Randy

--- On Mon, 2/14/11, marilyncrocker at juno.com <marilyncrocker at juno.com> wrote:

From: marilyncrocker at juno.com <marilyncrocker at juno.com>
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Re Save NPR and PBS
To: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
Cc: dialogue at wedgeblade.net
Date: Monday, February 14, 2011, 6:53 PM

Hi Randy (and others),

Given our recent conversations about the SP triangles and how they have informed us at various times during and since our OE days, I'm guessing that NPR and PBS are prime examples of the "cultural pole."  If, indeed, simplistically, the "tyrant" remains the economic, and the political the "ally", we know empowering the cultural ("the meaning giving pole"), in as many ways as possible, with creativity, care, consciousness,and (hopefully?) corporateness -- is a strategy for rebalancing what will perhaps but for a time become balanced, but in the context of change will forever be dynamically unbalanced.

I'm not interested in choosing "either/or", but would opt for thinking about NPR and PBS as being part of the mix with other dear to my heart programs for which I have advocated long and hard and continue to -- such as Head Start, job training and tuition loans.  For me, these latter enumerated programs are part of a constellation of cultural efforts that together hold promise re: effecting a re-balance, often because of their dynamical relationships (creates, limits, sustains) to the whole (E-P-C).

Anyway, thank you Jan for your "nudge" to get us thinking deeply, and recognizing the "almost free stuff" that we are nurtured upon every day, no matter what city, no matter what time, 24/7.

Grace and peace,

Marilyn

On Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:53:31 -0800 (PST) R Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com <http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rcwmbw@yahoo.com> > writes:

Colleagues,

Let me share a concern, and let me begin by saying I'm a fan and supporter of NPR and PBS.  I listen and watch regularly and contribute on occasion.  We know we are in a time of serious belt tightening and cuts to many areas of the federal budget are inevitable (as well as state and local budgets) and hard choices are having to be made.  I wish the lion's share, if not all of it, could be taken from the defense budget, but the reality is otherwise.  So here's my problem.  When I put NPR and PBS up beside proposed cuts to WIC, Headstart, job training, tuition loans, Bread for the World, and the myriad of other programs whose demise will most directly impact those who are least able to afford it, I'm having a real problem putting NPR and PBS at the top of the list of priorities.  If I'm missing the point, please tell me where.  I'm open.

Repectfully,

Randy

--- On Mon, 2/14/11, Janice Ulangca <aulangca at stny.rr.com> wrote:

From: Janice Ulangca <aulangca at stny.rr.com>
Subject: [Dialogue] Re Save NPR and PBS
To: "Colleague Dialogue" <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
Date: Monday, February 14, 2011, 4:18 PM

Here's a good letter from a retired Binghamton University professor who is active in sustainability and other issues.  He's also writing to Eric Cantor, the House Republican Majority Leader and to Senator Jim DeMint--a vocal opponent of funding for CPB.  The quotes from Thomas Jefferson are great.

Janice Ulangca

                                        Richard A. Rehberg

                                    Apt. 908 Riverside Towers

                                        5 Riverside Drive

                                  Binghamton, New York 13905 

February 12, 2011

John Boehner 

Speaker 

U.S. House of Representatives 

HC-232 

The Capitol 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Mr. Speaker: 

I understand that key Congressional Republicans propose substantial funding cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has been quoted as saying that “With record debt and unemployment, there’s simply no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize programming they disagree with”. 

As Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would ask that you oppose efforts to reduce funding for CPB.  

Both PBS and NPR provide extremely valuable news, science and education, and cultural programming for the nation.  During an average week, more than 20 million American citizens listen to NPR for relatively objective coverage of local, regional, national, and international events.  

In an increasingly global era when the commercial broadcast and cable channels have reduced their coverage of international events, the importance of both PBS and NPR to an informed citizenry is of compelling importance. 

As Thomas Jefferson wrote:  

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." 

". . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." 

In the spirit of our Founders, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting informs and educates the citizens of this nation thus facilitating a strong and vibrant democracy.  It has earned and it merits continued federal support. 

Cordially, 

Richard A. Rehberg 

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