Mark Souder is being a pouty, whiny Republican obstructionist again. Just because a few fat-cat TV station owners are complaining about the extra expense of sending out dual signals for four months, Souder is refusing to go along with the unanimous vote of the Senate in delaying the Feb. 17 switchover to digital (mandated by Congress) until June 12:
Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, said the delay isn't needed because viewers have been reminded for months that the switch was coming and that they needed to prepare. He said he will vote against the bill.
“I and everyone have been inundated with this information,” he said of the commercials the stations have aired for months to remind viewers of the coming switch.
You mean somebody has been putting the word out on this for months? I must have missed it. Come on, Mark, there are thousands and thousands of people who aren't ready yet. The government ran out of the $1.34 billion it had allocated to provide $80 per household for converter boxes, and how is a poor family with only analog TV supposed to come up with 80 whole dollars in a recession?
Or does Mark think it's funny that a government that has approved a $1 trillion bailout and is contemplating a nearly $1 trillion "stimulus" plan runs out of money in a measly $1.5 billion program?
Did I say funny? It's downright hysterical.
