Mortgage companies. Banks. Automakers. All begging for and getting fat federal bailouts in the name of being essential to our society and economy. Too big to fail. Too important to fail.
So which industry is the next most important to the fabric of our society? Healthcare? Agriculture? Technology?
How about the newspaper industry?
From BristolToday via Michelle Malkin:
Seven legislators from the area served by The Bristol Press and The Herald in New Britain today wrote to the state Department of Economic and Community Development to ask for its help in preventing the closure of the newspapers.
Here’s the letter that the state reps sent, in which they argue that the newspaper should be propped up by the government in order to make sure, among other things, that the public stays informed and accountable. Right, because without our local newspapers, we would all be completely misinformed and unaccountable.
They close by saying: ”We share the sentiments of our nation’s leaders who wrote the Bill of Rights that a free press is an essential part of democracy.” What part of democracy, I wonder, is a press that is in debt to the Federal Government?
Ed Morrissey blogging on this now too.
1 Comment
December 1, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Mr. Bush was heard saying that he wants to help the auto industry, but that he has a concern over viability. So he didn’t help them. It offers an interesting comparison with the financial industry. If you make too many cars and want to get a bail-out, the question of your viability is a serious issue. If you make too many loans however, there is no problem.