Just like every other company, XM's only goal is to make money for its owners (technically maximize their wealth). They made a choice to remove two jokers whom they thought would bring bad PR. It's unclear from the OP whether the move saved a net number of subscribers or cost XM; perhpas that can't be known.
Media companies allow talent they consider offensive to remain on the air so long as there isn't a backlash that could hurt revenues. I bet a lot of station managers dislike the opinions of Limbaugh, Hannity, or even Frankin, but they like ad sales enough to set those feelings aside. The most common form of this so called "censorship" is the removal of entertainers who are simply unpopular with the masses.
Either way, grow a skin. The 1st amendment has been threatened throughout the Constitution's history, and the right to free speech is still best represented in the USA.
It's just stupid to call the EPA for help. I cannot believe that anybody in his right mind would ever call the Government first to ask about hazardous clean-up. Any reasonably well informed person would first check out the clean-up costs and then decide whether to call the Government. I strongly suspect that this person knew that calling the EPA (or its state equivalent) would result in impossible red tape. The reason for calling would be to create fodder for a political argument. Steve Miloy is well known for his libertarian political agenda.
That being said, I am a libertarian too. I CHOOSE to buy wind power for my home, because I find pleasure in not burning as much coal. If need be, I would pay a premium for nuclear power for 100% of my electricity for the same reasons. I CHOSE to install many CFLs years ago because they save money, put out less heat, and are better for the environment. In the past year or so, CFLs have become economically cost effective vs. incandescent bulbs for typical home use. That is why they are becoming popular - they save money and are "green."
Outfits like Wal-Mart and the Government are into mandating CFLs because they like to shoot fish in a barrel. Nobody will complain loudly about being forced to do something they would do anyway, so why not. The Government likes to make laws and rules - it's what they do. Mandating CFLs won't peeve anybody too much and the Pols can appear "green." Take things like seatbelt laws, the 40 hour work week, and minimum insulation ratings in new homes. These are all things that the Government mandated about the time they were already becoming accepted practice. Those laws just gave the Pols the opportunity for taking credit for something that was happening anyway.
Like most things out of D.C. CFL mandates are just a smokescreen.
I do think that municapl WiFi precludes other services. They are offering 90% of the value of the paid ISP services at no end user cost (of course it's not free to taxpayers). This puts a chill on the incentive for others to invest and innovate to best serve the consumer. If I had free wifi on my block, I would have a hard time paying Comcast for something only a bit better.
Government intervetion into a free market causes shortages (lack of high end WiFi) every time.
Sure the government are a bunch of pinheads who don't communicate with each other and who blow things out of proportion. Sure the pranksters probably didn't break any serious laws. That is why they are in huge trouble. There is one crime above all others.
Worse than murder is embarrassing the government. When someone embarrasses every level of the state government on the front pages, the government will never rest until somebody pays. If these guys had accidentally set an abandoned building on fire, this would not have made Slashdot. If these guys had raped a grandmother or killed a kitten, it would not be big news.
The government will work overtime to find a crime with at least 10 years punishment behind it and hang those two. Their press conference did not help either.
Everyone should know that in lawsuits, public hearings, and the evening news, most every expert you hear from is paid by someone. They have to eat too.
In my public policy backgroung, I hired 'experts' all the time with the expectation that they would write something to support my position. In every reasonably complicated issue, there are facts that support most any position.
If you ask an expert to say something he believes is not true, or more importantly oposes his prior public statements, he will just say no. There are plenty of experts, and at least one will say whatever you need.
That is how the game is played.
Slashdot Mirror
Just like every other company, XM's only goal is to make money for its owners (technically maximize their wealth). They made a choice to remove two jokers whom they thought would bring bad PR. It's unclear from the OP whether the move saved a net number of subscribers or cost XM; perhpas that can't be known. Media companies allow talent they consider offensive to remain on the air so long as there isn't a backlash that could hurt revenues. I bet a lot of station managers dislike the opinions of Limbaugh, Hannity, or even Frankin, but they like ad sales enough to set those feelings aside. The most common form of this so called "censorship" is the removal of entertainers who are simply unpopular with the masses. Either way, grow a skin. The 1st amendment has been threatened throughout the Constitution's history, and the right to free speech is still best represented in the USA.
It's just stupid to call the EPA for help. I cannot believe that anybody in his right mind would ever call the Government first to ask about hazardous clean-up. Any reasonably well informed person would first check out the clean-up costs and then decide whether to call the Government. I strongly suspect that this person knew that calling the EPA (or its state equivalent) would result in impossible red tape. The reason for calling would be to create fodder for a political argument. Steve Miloy is well known for his libertarian political agenda. That being said, I am a libertarian too. I CHOOSE to buy wind power for my home, because I find pleasure in not burning as much coal. If need be, I would pay a premium for nuclear power for 100% of my electricity for the same reasons. I CHOSE to install many CFLs years ago because they save money, put out less heat, and are better for the environment. In the past year or so, CFLs have become economically cost effective vs. incandescent bulbs for typical home use. That is why they are becoming popular - they save money and are "green." Outfits like Wal-Mart and the Government are into mandating CFLs because they like to shoot fish in a barrel. Nobody will complain loudly about being forced to do something they would do anyway, so why not. The Government likes to make laws and rules - it's what they do. Mandating CFLs won't peeve anybody too much and the Pols can appear "green." Take things like seatbelt laws, the 40 hour work week, and minimum insulation ratings in new homes. These are all things that the Government mandated about the time they were already becoming accepted practice. Those laws just gave the Pols the opportunity for taking credit for something that was happening anyway. Like most things out of D.C. CFL mandates are just a smokescreen.
I do think that municapl WiFi precludes other services. They are offering 90% of the value of the paid ISP services at no end user cost (of course it's not free to taxpayers). This puts a chill on the incentive for others to invest and innovate to best serve the consumer. If I had free wifi on my block, I would have a hard time paying Comcast for something only a bit better.
Government intervetion into a free market causes shortages (lack of high end WiFi) every time.
Worse than murder is embarrassing the government. When someone embarrasses every level of the state government on the front pages, the government will never rest until somebody pays. If these guys had accidentally set an abandoned building on fire, this would not have made Slashdot. If these guys had raped a grandmother or killed a kitten, it would not be big news.
The government will work overtime to find a crime with at least 10 years punishment behind it and hang those two. Their press conference did not help either.
If you ask an expert to say something he believes is not true, or more importantly oposes his prior public statements, he will just say no. There are plenty of experts, and at least one will say whatever you need. That is how the game is played.