"Dave" wrote in message

Nope. First, the money spent by those purchasing the service from the
guvmint doesn't just go poof and evaporate. (Though what does happen to it
is another story.) Second, nobody's "guaranteed a profit." Like anything
bought and sold, the data may result in a profit, and it may result in a
loss to the purchaser. "Guaranteed a profit" is simply empty-headed
populist
rhetoric.

I don't think you get it yet. The commercial services WILL NOT BE PAYING
ANYTHING for the data that we the tax payers have paid to have gathered.
That means it is FREE to the commerical services. They will NOT BE BUYING
ANYTHING. The "guvmint" will JUST GIVE IT TO THEM!

It will not save or earn the government one thin dime. We will still be
paying for the weather satellites, the observation stations, sounding
balloons, weather radars, hurricane hunters and people to compile and
analyse the data. We just have to pay for it again in order to see it.

It stands to reason that if a company gets an almost 100% finished product
for free from the government and is then given a virtual monopoly to resell
it back to us (including the government) at very little expense with no
liability for its accuracy, that is about as close to a "Guaranteed Profit"
as it gets.

That is pretty simple. Now what part do you not understand?

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com