It was revealed last week USAID and other federal agencies were funneling millions of dollars to leftwing publications. The president immediately ordered all such payments to end. Texas Scorecard’s follow-up research found state agencies doing the same thing.
Yesterday, we asked readers if they thought Gov. Greg Abbott should—like President Trump—order state agencies to stop all payments to media outlets.
Here is a sampling of the responses we received from folks on the topic.
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Here is a sampling of the comments we received from our readers after they voted in the survey.
“Anything the government touches becomes their proxy.” – Bob Davis
“There is absolutely no (good) reason for a government to finance media.” – Cindy Armstrong
“Bribery never creates a level playing field.” – Sherry Poe
“Why should Texans pay for propaganda? It is a waste of money.” – Kenneth Gardner
“Over 70% of Americans don’t trust the media, so why waste taxpayer’s money on a dishonest platform?” – Molly Gail
“Removing governmental subsidies should INCREASE independence. Currently, we have puddles of propaganda.” – Arthur Potter
“Media outlets are not being ‘funded,’ but are subscriptions.” – Dalene L. Buhl
“There are two groups vehemently opposed to disclosure of USAID expenditures—those who will be exposed for engaging in grift, money laundering, and kickbacks; and Democrats.” – Erich Wolz
“The press is intended to be the people’s watchdog of government, so it defies logic for the hens to be paying the foxes to guard the hen house.” – Elissa Harrell
“Where does it say in the U.S. Constitution that the Federal Govt should fund the media?” – Rodney Deschamps
“If agencies and businesses in general have to survive on their own without government assistance, it’s a win-win for us all.” – Betty Bailey-Lucas
“It’s obscene that government should even attempt to psychologically manipulate us using our own taxpayer funds.” – Claire Nybro
“In my opinion, a free press is free with their opinions when they use their own dollars. But when they use someone else’s money (our tax dollars), then they will have government-controlled opinions in their press.” – Jerry Fox
“It’s outrageous that any government is subsidizing any news organizations. No wonder so much of the news is so biased. For that matter, I’ve always felt that NPR should have been defunded years ago. Actually, it should have never been funded in the first place.” – Marta Hollowell
“The 330+ million American citizens should never fund programs that intentionally harm our great nation. These ‘news organizations’ threaten the fiber of our nation with destructive narratives they push. We shouldn’t fund them.” – Dave Dorsey
“There is a reason for the term ‘free’ press. With money, there are strings. In Texas, let our preference be for free, unbiased press, not propaganda.” – Margie McAllister
