Public Funding
Jim Russell’s Counterpunch, “Speaking Up for Public Broadcasting” (May 4), made a worthy complaint about the fickle “have our cake and eat it too” attitude of most Americans. I disagree, however, with his attempt to justify using taxation to support public broadcasting.
Tax financing is a tacit public statement that there isn’t enough genuine public support for the institution and that, without coercion, it would not be supported, and thus that either it is unworthy or the people are clods. Neither is true.
Here’s my solution: Last year, I contributed 1.62% of my income to KCET and KUSC. If the average viewer/listener followed my example, these stations would not be wondering how they could fund the next year’s operations but, rather, how they might find a way to spend their wealth.
As Russell said, “Either pay for public broadcasting or get out of the way. . . .” My approach is to pay for what I use.
KENNETH H. FLEISCHER
Los Angeles
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