Why is the government subsidizing analog-digital converter boxes?

Question

I mean, really. This makes no sense at all. It should be either the cable and satellite companies, or possibly the TV makers: Sony, Olevia, LG, whoever.

Or, God forbid, you should have to cough up the $$ yourself for either a converter box or a new TV.

Is it coming out of our taxes? Or is there some kind of "secret stash" for things like this? Serious answers preferred, but I do like a good laugh . . .

Answer 1

Well, the most dangerous thing to an elected official is an angry voter.  By legislating the change over, Congress is messing with people's TV which is getting personal.  Granted there valid are issues like public safety and emergency communications which many people depend on their TV to deliver, but Congress doesn't want anyone to lose their TV service.

Yes, this is tax money the government is using.  Governments don't generate wealth, only people (tax payers) do. If a government is paying for anything, they are doing it with tax money they take from the workers.  Even money that they take from corporations is money taken from the workers because the cost must be passed on to the consumer.  So all government spending (even from a secret stash) is a direct or indirect tax on the workers.

I hope this helps.  Please return and select a best answer from all of those submitted.

Answer 2

Well, since they're forcing all the TV stations to switch to digital, that would make all existing televisions useless.  The subsidy alleviates this.

Of course, I think the whole plan is ill-conceived; but that's how it works.