National Center For Public Policy Research Opposes Maurice Hinchey's Fairness Doctrine

I just received the following e-mail from the National Center for Public Policy Research, a free-market-oriented think tank. Maurice Hinchey is my Congressman in West Shokan, New York. His anti-civil libertarian interest in the "fairness doctrine" saddens me.


>..."Despite Congress voting to oppose reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine in June by an overwhelming vote of 309 to 115, Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) intends to re-introduce legislation "to restore the Fairness Doctrine" in coming weeks.

>"Introduced in 1949 when there were relatively few broadcast outlets, the Fairness Doctrine was administered by the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that no single political viewpoint dominated the airwaves. In 1985, the FCC determined that "a multiplicity of voices in the marketplace assured diversity of opinion" and the Fairness Doctrine was no longer achieving its intended goals and was possibly creating a "chilling effect" on free speech. The FCC rescinded the Fairness Doctrine in 1987.

>"Recently, liberal lawmakers and their special interest supporters have raised the possibility of reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine because there are more conservative talk shows than liberal ones among profit-driven radio stations. FCC chairman Kevin Martin has publicly opposed bringing the Fairness Doctrine back, telling Broadcasting and Cable magazine that the absence of it "has made a lot of opportunities like talk radio." President Bush has made it known he would veto any legislation that seeks to reimpose the Fairness Doctrine.

>"Project 21's Massie added: "With Hispanic media outlets such as Telemundo and Univision carried on almost every cable system and strong ratings for Hispanic radio stations nationwide, along with unprecedented media choices through television, radio and the Internet, it is disingenuous in this day and age to say there is no way to voice an opinion. The Fairness Doctrine is just a tool for people to force their ideas where they are not popular. Would Telemundo and Univision like to be forced to broadcast in English because a large cross-section of Americans do not speak Spanish?"

>"Project 21, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992. For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org, or visit Project 21's website at www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

New York Real Estate Bubble

The New York Sun reports that commercial real estate prices in New York are escalating rapidly. Eighteen months ago the highest commercial price ever recorded was $1,000 per square foot. According to the Sun the highest price is nearing $2,000 per square foot.

"Investment sales for 2006 reached an all-time record of $34.8 billion."

With a plummeting dollar, spikes in real estate prices and the Dow Jones and S&P 500 at or near all-time highs, it is time to "break out the bubbly". Sometimes you just got to party like it's 1999!

Left Wingers To Murder Christian Missionary

The July 13 New York Sun says that:

"Efforts to save the life of Son Jong Nam, a North Korean evangelist who faces a death sentence from the communist regime for practicing Christianity, will reach the State Department today."





Son converted to Christianity and fled North Korea to China after his wife was brutally beaten and murdered. The Chinese socialists returned Son to the North Korean socialists, where he has been arrested and sentenced to death for the crime of evangelizing.

Let us pray and voice support for Mr Son. I have written the following letter to President Bush:

I urge you to speak out on behalf of Son Jong Hoon who has been sentenced to death in North Korea for practicing Christianity.

Bill Maher's The Decider : Affirmative Action for Liberals

HBO produces several good shows, such as the Sopranos, Entourage, Big Love , Curb Your Enthusiasm and the unbelievably talented Jemaine Clement 's and Bret McKenzie 's Flight of the Conchords. But most television has been a disappointment in recent years. The supply of good programs has been slowing to a trickle. After Law and Order, CSI, 24 and several others there isn't much, even if you spend $140/month and get every channel.

Last night my wife and I watched Bill Maher's Decider reluctantly, since when watching Bill Maher programs I feel like I'm being victimized by an affirmative action program for left wing liberals. HBO's ideology only permits liberal humor, and Bill Maher is the best that they can do given the HBO quota system of 19 liberals to zero conservatives.

Maher's inability to develop a range of material and his tiresome, ill informed harangues are about as entertaining as a traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge. Blog impressario Larwyn watches Maher to laugh at him, not with him. Perhaps with the limited supply of talent Maher is the best that HBO can do. Maybe they would be better off going to New Zealand to find more talent like Clement and McKenzie.