On 4 Aug 2005, , Larry wrote:


Even though the US tax payer paid to have the charts
made and kept up, greedy government bureaucrats sold
us out to the chart companies . . . .

Now, other government bureaucrats want to do the same
thing to WEATHER maps and data tax payers already
paid for so you can pay for your weather maps just like
your charts! You're already paying extra for lightning hit
data, today.....

It is hardly just "bureaucrats" (at least in the administrative
clerical sense of that term) who are trying to do this. The present
most important governmental officer involved in the attempt to
"privatize" weather data which would then be given for free to
commercial outfits (e.g., AccuWeather) - but at increased cost to
individual taxpayer! - then made available to individuals for a fee
only from these private companies is Pa. Senator Rick Santorum.

There have been a few short news pieces and commentaries criticizing
Santorum's effort in this connection (including by reporting that
AccuWeather is one of his constituents and, perhaps more to the point
here, financial contributors), but very few reports in the general
press and, as far as I've so far been able to determine, none in the
electronic media.

Boaters individually and as a group (is there a "boating community"?)
might want to educate themselves then try to do something meaningful
in response to Santorum's and his like-minded (and like-paid?)
colleagues' efforts.