Malkin: Say No To Newspaper Bailouts

[Terri]

By Michelle Malkin
December 3, 2008

It was supposed to be a joke. As an endless parade of corporate beggars marches to Washington in search of handouts for their beleaguered industries, some of us in the news business snarked that journalists would be next in line. I launched a Newspaper Bailout Countdown Clock on my blog after The New York Times Company's bonds plunged into junk territory in October. A few weeks later, columnist Jon Fine published a tongue-in-cheek memo in BusinessWeek outlining a federal newspaper rescue proposal.

The jibes were meant to be facetious critiques of for-profit enterprises demanding massive taxpayer expenditures under the guise of preserving the "public interest." But now, in a rather unfunny turn, the newspaper bailout push has actually come to pass.

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[jaktar7]

My God, what next? Newspapers should never be given taxpayer money under any circumstance. Being a conservative, why would I want my taxes supporting a liberal rag like the New York Times? Should this ever happen, I believe conservatives would and should revolt against taxation of any kind.

[welder4]

Maybe it is the worst financial times we have ever encountered but one only needs to look at the source of the problem and it comes up democrat every time . I am in danger of going belly up myself but I guess the stubbornness in me will make me go back to work at 65 and make it in spite of the democrats.

[willhen50]

This new president-elect, he was voted in because the media made it their mission, the truths and untruths were so distorted I cancelled my subscription to my local paper. 95% of the blacks voted for him because he was black, we could see that, he made comments that spoke of CHANGE, yea!! the Constitution, form of Government, and lastly the people (I guess We are not their bosses anymore.) The congress is not helping the People, just businesses that support them.
His cabinet choices are not change they are a continuation of the Clinton's, there is no change there. Where is the change, oh right! he is going to end the war in Iraq, save our economy, turn water into wine etc etc etc ...
Just goes to show how gullible people are.

[ONTIME]

Isn't there a movie called, "Dead Paper Squawk'n"..........W ell, I've been misguided before.

[Oregon Al]

There is going to be a "tipping point" in this bailout b.s. It's what the Boston Tea Party was all about: the people burdened with the outlandish taxes revolt!

Should newspapers, whose loss of business is hardly due to the economy (except that most of them have unionized press forces), get a bailout rather than face Chapter 11 bankruptcies, I think the taxpayers will have had enough!

Viva the internet!

[lester peoples]

Michelle is tellin it right, again.
Why can't the bailouts start at the bottom where the people pay for keeping this country going? I mean, like the homeowners and the laid off jobless who's taxes pay to keep the ones on Wall Street and financier Bankers who are getting the gravy off the 'so called' bailouts. Are the ones in charge who created the financial delema--expected to be smart enough to solve the problem? Is Anyone even asking? Obama has so many re-runs established in his new adminastration, its hard to see a change! I thot we was getting a CHANGE! Depression wasn't the one were thinking about! Big Finance and Banks, the big Three Auto giants, coming to Congress to beg flyin in on their special jet planes? Common now' Beggars w/ tin cups dont have a Limo parked around the corner! But 'they' know how stupid congressmen are tho--we're learnin.

[oldjules]

I launched a Newspaper Bailout Countdown Clock on my blog after The New York Times Company's bonds plunged into junk territory in October. A few weeks later, columnist Jon Fine published a tongue-in-cheek memo in BusinessWeek outlining a federal newspaper rescue proposal

Why should we even consider rewarding stupid management. Everyone in the handout line is better off financially than I am.

Does our constitution even provide for such senseless actions? Maybe congress needs a refresher course.

[candles]

The Republican governor and the Democratic attorney general of Connecticut went on the record last week in support of government intervention for failing local newspapers.

I can understand Dems falling for this, but Republicans?!

Newspapers have been on the down turn for years, computers and TV is the source of news these days. I would not cry if they all went to the wayside.

[papajaxxx]

NOT NO, BUT HELL NO!