Thread: The White House wants your opinion on The DTV Delay ACT Bill

DTV needs to go away. This has turned into a campaign commercial that will not end.

Here is what I submitted:

Absolutely no need to delay the transition!

1. Most of those who are not ready today will not be ready in June. So, how is June better than February?

2. Some will not do a thing until the screen goes dark.

3. Those who cannot afford today will be even less likely to afford in June. So, why delay?

4. How many millions does it cost to delay the transition? (22M for PBS alone!) The money would be much better spent in additional coupons for those who cannot afford converter boxes.

I will not send my comments.
The whole delay was initiated by Obama. So what is the point. He got the bill he wanted. And all these messages are just wasted keyboard clicks.
The same will be true for the comments about the stimulus. Even if all 200 mln. opposed it will send a message it will not make a dent.

Originally Posted by Minsk1

I will not send my comments.
The whole delay was initiated by Obama. So what is the point. He got the bill he wanted. And all these messages are just wasted keyboard clicks.
The same will be true for the comments about the stimulus. Even if all 200 mln. opposed it will send a message it will not make a dent.

The point is to get your voice heard, he may change his mind, you never know. Heck it could be your voice that does it. Doing nothing is the wrong way to handle this. We need every voice heard.

Originally Posted by GweeDo767

You do realize the President has to sign this into law right? The whole point of this "wait 5 days for online comments before signing none emergency bills" thing was for this exactly. For people to say what they want about it. Will it change the POTUS's mind? Who knows, but this isn't law until he signs that paper.

I believe the point is to hear from the people BEFORE wasting time and political clout on an issue that did not need to be put into text for perusal. The question here was a simple one: delay the transition or not (yes, lots other things included, but essentially the one big question). This was not legislation that would have a list of road projects to fund, thereby allowing the people to see the "Bridge to Nowhere" listed among other dubious projects. In that case, one will have to wait until the bill passes with all the amendments and awaits only the signature of the President.

It was the White House (President Obama) who sought sponsors for the DTV delay, so it was the President who wasted his influence to get the bill passed, Now, he might not sign it after all that hard work (the original bill was rejected by the house) and the effort put in by members of congress and the White House that could have been better spent on either the stimulus or bailout bills? Mr. Rockefeller, et al., will NOT be happy about having delivered for the President only to have him change his mine--for WHATEVER reason. Those members of congress worked their colleagues and probably vote traded here and there only to have their future influence, on behalf of the President, considerably weakened.

In the future expect members of Congress to politely ask the White House, "If I work my butt off to get this bill passed, the President isn't going to pull the rug out from under me, is he? I need his support or others in Congress won't believe the President really supports anything until the wind blows in a safe direction for his approval rating or whatever and are less likely to jump on board."

What's the difference between the above and the often criticized "policy by polling" that Clinton (and even Bush) used (read the polls or see which way the wind is a blowin' before doing anything) to govern. Yet, a White House website poll seems OK with the same critics.

So far, he has stumbled a bit too many times. He wasn't ready for day one after all, and he is looking more partisan by the minute, not getting other parties or points of view on board. Hillary would have been ready day one because of her EXPERIENCE and good relations she has built over years with the other parties. I suppose this will end up as one more of his self proclaimed "screw-ups." His vulgar term, not anyone else's.

I realize that it's a done deal by now, since Congress has approved the delay and Obama was for it. But they asked for our comments, and I think it's a good idea to provide them. Even if our comments will not affect the decision this time around, perhaps they will influence some further decisions. Are you sure this is the last delay?

I think that those 5.8 million Americans my local news reported that isn't ready is probably those 5.8 million Americans who procrastinate and will also not be ready in June either. Some people are like that, some people find no reason to take action on anything until something happens. And if ya go ahead and throw the switch, those 5.8 million Americans may go out and buy boxes outright or sub to cable/dish making the economy a bit better. I think if it is delayed, then it will be delayed again and again.

Left my message and posted on NEPA's board.. Also sent the link to all at our station.

The problem is that Febuary 17th has been pounded in everyones heads so long now, they need to do what they said they where going to do.

By delaying this to June its going to cause even more confusion because Febuary 17th is going to pass and not a dam thing will happen and they will just automatically think that because they are still getting TV, it must now be in Digital. People are going to think this is like the black and white TV to color TV transition. The black and white TV's still work today, eventhough all the stations broadcast in color.

But like I have been saying, the people who are not ready today will not be ready in June, and the people who have the coupons don't need them!

I can see myself talking to a customer now and having them tell me that the transition is over and their TV still works.

Its only TV people, people "DON'T" have to have TV to live!