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Location: Munster, IN | SB 786 Proposes to Curtail Free Data from National Weather Service May 2005
Free NOAA weather radio could go the way of the eight-track tape player if Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) has his way.
Legislation introduced by Santorum, S. 786, would restrict NOAA’s broadcasting to emergency weather, like hurricanes and tornados and permit private companies like AccuWeather and The Weather Channel to get all of its daily weather information from NOAA for free. These companies would then turn around and sell the continuous weather updates to the public that NOAA used to provide free of charge.
Such a drastic change in the public’s access to critical weather information could endanger the safety of boat owners who routinely rely on this information to make basic decisions about when to head out of port or when to return. BoatU.S. has contacted each U.S. senator advising them of our opposition to this bill.
S. 786 would only allow NOAA to issue severe weather warnings to the public when conditions were life threatening. The bill would save no money for the government because in order to issue such warnings, all the routine data collection and monitoring work must go on regardless. In addition, the “non-critical” data for boaters, such as tides, wind direction, speed and movement of fronts, can be just as important as storm warnings.
Boaters and fisherman are urged to contact their senators in opposition to S. 786 in a letter of your own, especially now that the hurricane season is here. For a sample letter you can got to http://www.boatus.com/gov/sb786.htm. You can also find the legislator you should send it to.
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | This will never pass Santorum brings it up every year for his buddy Dr. Joel Meyers CEO of CrapUWeather. |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | So basically the gvt is going to take tax payer money and use it to provide a service it will then give away to a few companies and they sell it back to us. Wonderful. Guess you don't have to wonder why we can't balance a budget or get crap done. |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | mm12463 - 7/19/2005 7:13 AM
So basically the gvt is going to take tax payer money and use it to provide a service it will then give away to a few companies and they sell it back to us. Wonderful. Guess you don't have to wonder why we can't balance a budget or get crap done.
The gov't did this for years but thanks to the internet around 2001 weather data became widely available to everyone. |
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Posts: 207
Location: Mpls, MN | It's a shame they want to revert back to it that. |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | MM do you know who paid for the infrastructure to get widespread radar data available to public places like TV stations? It was the governemnt. Moreover it was thje private sector that invented "Color Weather Radar" in the late 70's early 80's.
Have no fear though, the Santorum bill will nevwer pass. His own party hates him!! |
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| I did not know that. Learn something everyday. Make sense too. Tax money pays for a lot of good things that maybe would not have happened without government stepping and and making it happen. Just makes you wonder why someone would waste time trying to pass a bill like this when it sounds it has been shot down many times before and is really a benefit to a lot of people. Probably saves lifes too.
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