The Tethered Aerostat Radar System is a balloon-borne radar. The primary aerostat mission is to provide radar data in support of other federal agencies involved in the nation's drug interdiction program. One aerostat, located at Cudjoe Key, Fla., transmits TV Marti, which sends American television signals into Cuba for the U.S. Information Agency...
There are millions, if not billions of US dollars in Pork Projects in the federal budget that need to be cut and the "TV Marti" initiative is a stark example.
Senator Dorgan worked to remove the funding for a completely ineffective program called, "TV Marti." The balloon, later replaced with a plane, would send a signal to Cuba for a program that broadcast the concepts of participatory democracy. The signal was and is effectively blocked by the Cuban government.
In all honesty, why would we want to have a hostile program with Cuba outside the dictates of good diplomatic relations anyway? Why is it that TV Marti has to be covert, rather than welcome by the Cuban government? I am sure there are programs that can be produced in the USA, the Cuban government would welcome including educational programs that would uplift the educational opportunities of children and illiterate adults. So, the entire definition of this program is offensive and quite frankly unnecessary. There is no reason why the Cuban people cannot receive television transmissions from the USA through diplomatic channels
Dorgan Works to End Ineffective TV Marti Program (click here)
In an effort to cut out government waste, Senator Dorgan successfully included a provision to stop funding for TV Marti, a failed program that attempts unsuccessfully to broadcast anti-government programming to Cuban residents, into the FY 2010 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill.
TV Marti, unlike the successful Radio Marti program, has not been effective because it is blocked by the Castro regime. Over the past twenty years, Congress has spent about $250 million for TV Marti, despite the fact that it only offers 27 hours of original programming a week and the signal is blocked in Cuba.
After years of being broadcasted from a giant balloon tethered above Cuba, the signal is now sent out via a Gulfstream jet, which costs the taxpayer $6 million a year.
Senator Dorgan believes it is wasteful to spend millions of dollars, year after year, to broadcast a television signal that virtually no one sees.
The point is there are potentially billions of dollars US that can be cut safely and efficiently from the federal budget and it is those dollars that first need to be addressed in reducing the federal budget.There needs to be legislation to scour the federal budget and discover programs that are unproductive and simply DON'T ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS. Goals are important, even in conservation which is a 'pet focus' of Republican cuts, but, in programs such as "TV Marti" the goals are unattainable and are better pursued through the State Department anyways.
The Democrats can bring legislation that will facilitate a review of such spending and end it effectively.
BUILDING PLANS AT SMALL NORTHERN PORTS OF ENTRY WOULD WASTE OVER $200 MILLION, DORGAN SAYS (click here)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
The day following the Senator’s complaint, the Secretary of Homeland Security stopped work and ordered a review of the spending at the ports of entry.
“I’m in favor of strengthening security at our borders, including the border between the U.S. and Canada,” Dorgan said. “But the proposal by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to spend an average of $15 million at each of the small northern border ports was way out of line.”...
NOT A LAUGHING MATTER: DORGAN ANNOUNCES THAT THE PUBLIC DEBT OFFICE CANCELS PROPOSAL TO HIRE CARTOONIST (click here)
Friday, July 17, 2009
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
Other Dorgan Favorites (click here)
