I believe you are wrong. I looked at the financials of my local public radio and apparently not only do they have assets worth several BILLION dollars but last year alone they increased by 2.18BILLION. The fact that they are still begging for donations is absurd and they can easily pay their bills, maintain the station and it's assets all while not touching a penny of their principle if invested wisely.
Donate if you wish, but fist know what you are giving to.
F*U*C*K MPR.
They are a mouthpiece for the Democrats--not judging their politics, just their hypocrisy.
Have you checked out the executive compensation?
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/11/mpr-executive-pay-kling-tops-600000
From their garbage on-air "talent" including scumbag alcoholics like Katherine Lanpher (who they STILL pay for "independent work"), and the ever-condescending bagrot Cathy Wurzer, to the crap they overpay for from American Public Media and other places like that complete A-hole Garrison Keillor, and that smug, self-satisfied, ultra-liberal flamer Neal Conan, what the hell is worth paying for, considering their endowment and the public dispensations they already receive in the form of tax and other benefits?
Burn in hell, MPR--you SUCK. Such hypocrisy, ceaselessly advocating for light rail until it was routed in front of their studio. Such bias. Such overpayments from your wallet to theirs.
Do you really need to enable Kling to indulge his excesses?
Your wife needs to open her eyes, and you are the one to help her in this respect. How much does SHE make? Is she prepared to hand her money to Kling & Co.?
If you thought my ranting about Solinskrap was something, don't even get me going on support for so-called "public" radio. And if you want Armageddon, get me talking about public-sector unions, public service, and President Kennedy's executive orders.
F*U*C*K MPR.
Sprintgeezer, you've got some serious issues.
Public radio is a noble cause. I donate to it, as well. The only giving I don't understand is to political campaigns. If people gave to actual charities instead of politicians, we'd all be much better off.
Let me f*cking guess, she wants to donate and you don't.
Kcpi wrote:
My wife gives about $120/year to Minnesota Public Radio. She said she feels like she "should" donate because she enjoys public radio and listens to it often. I told her she should stop donating that money and put it to some better use. She didn't like that much. I told her to look at it this way: if you stop giving your money to public radio, nothing will change - you'll still be able to listen to all of your shows as you normally do. In other words, whether you donate or not makes no difference in the service/product you get.
What do you think?
10/10 - you got the progressive types all in a frenzy!
I believe your wife should unload you for being a whiny little bitch who comes on letsrun to complain about something really trivial. Grow up little boy.
How much do you pay per month to watch TV? Depending on which cable/dish service you get, it is probably in the $75 range. That means you pay about $900 per year to watch TV, and you're worried about a lousy $120 to listen to the radio. C'mon dude, let it go.
For $120/year you could be listening to Stern on Sirius. Public radio is an inferior product in comparison, beholden to corporate hand outs and relegated to public begging. Withhold your wife's donation and help put them out of their miserable existence.
dmb wrote:
Kcpi wrote:My wife gives about $120/year to Minnesota Public Radio. She said she feels like she "should" donate because she enjoys public radio and listens to it often. I told her she should stop donating that money and put it to some better use. She didn't like that much. I told her to look at it this way: if you stop giving your money to public radio, nothing will change - you'll still be able to listen to all of your shows as you normally do. In other words, whether you donate or not makes no difference in the service/product you get.
What do you think?
10/10 - you got the progressive types all in a frenzy!
I was going to say ....... if only "public" radio wasn't sucking on the taxpayer teat and instead relied soley on donations from progressivists/statists, then everybody wins.
jaswk wrote:
Sprintgeezer, you've got some serious issues.
No, we ALL have some serious issues--I'm just one of those few who are willing to talk about them openly.
MPR is all about hypocrisy--not just the light-rail debacle, but campaign contributions, lobbying efforts, lopsided compensation schemes, etc..
Not to mention the unparalleled insipidity of the new crop of "reporters", who in form and content sound like they are addressing a grade 2 class.
NPR funding should have been cut off during the last round.
Redneck radio is essentially no better in many respects, but at least they don't claim to be "public" radio, and do not receive any special appropriation from public funds.
MPR, and NPR, are both only symptoms of the underlying problems--and it is those problems that are the issues.
Ahh public goods. YOU should donate so I don't have to.
Actually, I believe the Minnesota public radio is one of (if not the only) NPR stations paid for by the state government.
ever go to Q cumbers? it's delicious
Sprintgeezer wrote:
MPR, and NPR, are both only symptoms of the underlying problems--and it is those problems that are the issues.
Right, MPR is the problem. Not ranting, cursing, arrogant know it alls like you.
Leaving the merits of MPR out of this, your wife wanted to donate $120 to a cause important to her. You may have talked her out of it. Congratulations, you just talked somebody out of supporting a cause that matters to them. I can't help but think you do this somewhat regularly.
We don't have cable or satellite....just "free" over-the-air TV.
Kcpi wrote:
My wife gives about $120/year to Minnesota Public Radio. She said she feels like she "should" donate because she enjoys public radio and listens to it often. I told her she should stop donating that money and put it to some better use. She didn't like that much. I told her to look at it this way: if you stop giving your money to public radio, nothing will change - you'll still be able to listen to all of your shows as you normally do. In other words, whether you donate or not makes no difference in the service/product you get.
What do you think?
Well, you say 'nothing will change' but it seems that part of the pleasure your wife gets from the radio is the knowledge that she makes a financial contribution, so if she stops contributing her experience would change. Whether she donates or not clearly makes a difference to her.
child, please wrote:
Sprintgeezer wrote:MPR, and NPR, are both only symptoms of the underlying problems--and it is those problems that are the issues.
Right, MPR is the problem. Not ranting, cursing, arrogant know it alls like you.
Good job, 'tard. Even though I expressly wrote that MPR is a symptom of the underlying problems, you read that MPR is the problem.
Good job. You must be a regular contributor.
Oh, and even though I expressed opinions, they are solidly based on fact--the light rail opposition, the DUI's, the executive compensation, the lawsuits against neighbors, and so on.
I could go on all night, but I won't. Why don't you listen and think instead of having a knee-jerk oppositionally defiant reaction?
You can disagree with the opinions or add to the facts or weigh the facts differently, but you cannot change the facts. If you want a real discussion, let's have at it, because there is plenty of good stuff to discuss here.
So what do you have to say about MPR?
Sprintgeezer wrote:
You can disagree with the opinions or add to the facts or weigh the facts differently, but you cannot change the facts. If you want a real discussion, let's have at it, because there is plenty of good stuff to discuss here.
So what do you have to say about MPR?
I guess I found it a bit ironic that you criticize MPR for their level of discourse when you are very willing to use rhetoric that is very antagonistic, even if your arguments are sound. But hey, letsrun is different from public radio, so maybe I should cut you some slack.
I thought that your insinuation that MPR and right wing private radio are equivalents was really unfair, as to any reasonable observer private right wing talk radio is an order of magnitude beyond MPR in terms of bias, even if MPR does (and I will agree that it does) show a moderate degree of left-leaning bias.
I do not think that the fact that a radio station shows some degree of political bias is a good argument for cutting off its funds. Even if it is biased, it serves an important function--namely providing an alternative to commercial radio in terms of rhetorical style and content. I think this style and perhaps also its politics are a direct result of its different form of funding. In a pluralistic democracy, having multiple forms of media is a good in itself. So, for example, even though I disagree with the content and form of most right wing radio, I would never dream of making an argument that this form of media should be banned. Quite the contrary.
Signed,
Child, please.
Sprintgeezer wrote:
So what do you have to say about MPR?
It's been a few months and goes in waves, but I've listened to the Current online a fair amount, after 'discovering' it on a return trip to Minnesota a few years ago when it first came out.
I heard about the light rail hypocrisy -- agreed, it seemed lame.
Keillor's lawsuit, also lame.
But historically, I dig the music and several of the DJ's. I love the concerts/festivals they've promoted, the artists they've brought in studio, and the Live Current CDs. I've sent them some cash, and a buddy has made donations in our name as a (thoughtful) gift. They've made me more aware of a local music scene more than anywhere else I've lived (few major cities each in a few other states). Sometimes I hear commercials or see ads for things going on in the Cities, and it makes me feel like I'm missing out.
And I haven't lived in MN for a decade.
MPR: Good stuff.