Apr. 25, 2005 - 18:55 MDT

DONT FIX IT

Editorials are fine things in themselves, often prone to reflect the thoughts of the editors, but they are thinking beings and often saner than the rest of us. Thus the one in this morning's Rocky Mountain News. In full:

Don't hamstring the weather service

"If you want a weather forecast, you can go to the National Weather Services Web site --- and get it

-- click anywhere on the map of the 50 states and get a detailed seven-day forecast along with radar and satellite images."

"And why not ? You pay for it with your tax dollars."

"But the Web site could be in danger, along with other Weather Service functions, under a bill introduced this month by Sen. Rick Santorum R-Pa. The measure would bar the National Weather Service from providing, or assisting other entities in providing, a service or product "that is or could be provided by the private sector."

"There are some exceptions, but basically the Weather Service would be restricted to issuing warnings and forecasts for severe storms that threaten life and property. In other words, the Weather Service could go on predicting the weather but only tell us about it when it's bad."

"Since the Weather Service generates data used by private services -- and would continue to do so under this bill -- its hard to see why for-profit companies should have access to taxpayer-paid data unavailable to the rest of us. The bill could also be read as fobidding the Weather Service to post data and forecasts on the Internet, a giant leap backward technologically ."

"Let the people at the National Weather Service keep calling them as they see them."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hee, hee, all these places getting the same data as is put out by our government and fancying it up with nexrad -- super doppler yadda, yadda and acting as if they are the only ones in the know. Tickles me too that the biggie on national television and our locals often are confused as to what the weather will be, can't even come close and post conflicting information.

So who put Santorum up to that bill ? Money involved I am sure in my own nasty little mind. Taxpayers pay for the work, but Santorum wants us to be fed by the commercial people only. Gotta watch out for these "Activist Republicans," in all things. If we don't watch out we'll all get Dobsoned or worse by the Faithful Mafia. Finally figured out the definition of "Activist Judge" A judge who decides against what the party in power wants. What other definition is there in the Republican mind ?

So, Mr. Santorum and others, if it ain't broke DONT FIX IT . . . . . . . . .

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