Politics is not a spectator sport
In the neighboring New England states there is an institution called “Town Meeting.” It is, in theory, the purest form of democracy. Every citizen gets a direct vote. What we theoretically have in New York is something called “representative democracy.” That means, of course, that hundreds of thousands of people elect members of the State Assembly, the State Senate and the Congress of the United States to represent them.
Sometimes those representatives do, in effect, represent the people and sometimes, as we all know, they start representing themselves. In some legislative districts, particularly those in some parts of New York City, most people have no idea who their representatives are. This frees up legislators to do what’s best for them and not for the people. Think about it - if their constituents don’t know who they are, there is absolutely no way they can be held accountable. The more ignorant their constituents are, the more likely they are to do what they, or their leaders, want them to do. It happens all the time. If you look at the polls in New York State it is clear that a majority of the people in New York do not want a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. In fact, even people on the island of Manhattan don’t want it. Forget about Upstaters who see their tax dollars going down a bottomless pit.
Nevertheless, one gets the clear impression that if the correct amount of bounty was delivered to the legislative leaders, the stadium would pass. We are talking about a mammoth real estate deal, here. I keep thinking that the soundtrack from “Chinatown” starring Jack Nicholson should be playing in the background. That motion picture told the story of real estate deals that were supported by some of the most powerful voices in Los Angeles.
Now we have a Metropolitan Transportation Authority that some claim sold the property over their rail yards for too little money. People like Frank Mauro of the highly regarded Fiscal Policy Institute claim that since the property sold for less than it was worth, strap hangers will end up paying even more for their fares than they might have had MTA gotten the fair market price for the land. Hmmm, let’s see now. George Pataki is the Governor and the so-called “independent” MTA has members appointed by him. Does two and two make four? Is the Chinatown music growing louder?
It doesn’t stop with the stadium. This country is having a hell of a time implementing a sane policy on stem cell research. The problem for the politicians with this one is that they are now dealing with a situation that affects every one of us. In fact, cures for many of the very things that are killing us may result from this promising medical approach. Nonetheless, a small minority, including some prominent religious groups, has been able to thwart a sane stem cell research policy. In this case, however, the people have woken up. If there’s a single thing that politicians worry about, it’s that moment when the sleeping giant rises to its feet. That’s when you see the politicians running for the hills. In the case of stem cell research, the word is out. Even politicians have moms or uncles with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. This is one that people just will not sit still for.
It’s never easy. In New York City there used to be something called rent control. It was the third rail of New York City politics. Every time the powerful real estate interests tried to have it changed, the giant awakened. Finally, those very clever politicians “tweaked” it and changed it “just a little” and now the whole thing is just a pale joke, a faint echo of what it once was.
One day, people may just wake up and understand that politics is not a spectator sport. When that day comes, they may get what they deserve. I can’t help but think of the President of the United States who keeps bragging that we need to import our brand of democracy to the rest of the world. Yeah, right.
Time to play that Chinatown CD just one more time.


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- posted by Raymond @ 6/13/2005 07:19:00 AM

 
Hands off public radio
I, Publius
Hands off public radio
By Alan Chartock



More and more, radio is becoming a force to be reckoned with. I have always pointed out that when the Nazis or the Communists invaded a town, the first thing they did was take over the radio station. At one time, most people believed that television was the only communications force of the future.
Now it turns out that people were wrong. Newton Minnow wasn't exaggerating when he spoke of TV as the vast wasteland. The medium has been used to cater to our basest instincts, and we all know it. Many in the anthropological community have long preached about the ill effects that television has on young people. They are right, except they've mistakenly created a sort of forbidden fruit rather than teaching children how to manage TV.

Unexpectedly, radio has hung in there, in large part because of the automobile. People can't watch television behind the wheel, but they can and do listen to the radio.
The truth is, most radio listening is done in the car. That's why we hear so much about "driveway moments," those times when you are so engrossed in a radio show that you simply can't get out of your car. There's no question about it: Radio is powerful.



We've recently seen some action in the world of public radio. The neocons have made a major assault on those who run public broadcasting. It isn't hard to understand why. The way the conservatives have basically gained control of the commercial radio stations reminds me a lot of the way that we all used to play Monopoly. They, or their corporate pals, have bought control of huge numbers of radio stations throughout the United States. They have installed bigmouths like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and others of their ilk on these stations, and they cater to a particular part of our population that eats up the right-wing stuff.

Put yourself in Karl Rove's place. It's your job to keep your people in power. All of a sudden, you realize that people aren't buying the right-wing premise. It has grown quite thin. The commercial radio stations' listening audiences are dwindling. The kids sure aren't listening. They left long ago for the Internet and the iPod. But public radio continues to attract an audience that is bright and intellectual. That audience is actually growing. What good is controlling the commercial radio stations if folks are listening to the stuff on WAMC and NPR? The name of the game, then, is to attack public radio and, for some inexplicable reason, public television.

There is a government agency, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, whose only reasons for being were to distribute money to public radio and television stations and to keep government's hands off public broadcasting. So the Rove White House has appointed a few henchmen to run the CPB, and these guys have gone on a witch hunt looking for people like Bill Moyers of public television.

Now it turns out that the new head guy at CPB, Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, hired a White House consultant for $10,000 to keep tabs on Moyers and his guests. He also hired a president of CPB who admits that he never listens to NPR because he rides a motorcycle that doesn't have a radio. Pretty cool; that's like hiring a brain surgeon at the local hospital who is really an arborist. Of course, Moyers quit PBS television and is now a national hero for his work. He now plans to go back on public television and probably public radio, too. As he puts it, "out of the rocking chair and into the anchor chair."



The whole plan backfired on the neocon White House. People are furious. WAMC is just finishing its fastest fund drive in history. A lot of people understand that the First Amendment is being trampled on. One caller after another to WAMC has made the point that George Bush wants to export democracy abroad but seems intent on killing it at home. As far as WAMC is concerned, the station will fight in court and in every other way, but if the CPB tries to impose a political litmus test on us, we will eschew the government money and ask people to pony up more to keep a free exchange of ideas and information alive. The founding fathers knew this might happen — that's why they told the government to keep its filthy hands off the press. There was no radio then, but their point would, of course, extend to today's electronic media.

This is obviously a time to be vigilant. I mean, are these neocons even a little concerned about what their actions mean to the very democracy for which they are sending our kids to die?



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- posted by Raymond @ 6/13/2005 07:17:00 AM