The new farm bill

Akron Beacon Journal, May 19

As Congress moved in 2002 toward passage of a five-year farm bill, President Bush often voiced his dismay at the proposed excesses in spending. In the end, he put aside his strong opposition. ...

This past week, lawmakers again approved a five-year farm bill. The president has pledged to veto the $307 billion measure. His threat matters little. The legislation cleared the House and the Senate by veto-proof margins. It is hard to overestimate the political popularity of these farm bills. ...

What shouldn't be missed is the broad coalition of interests with something to gain from passage. ...

The trouble is ... you must swallow hard to stomach the provisions aimed not at the disadvantaged but at prosperous farming enterprises. ...

Network TV decline

The (Toledo) Blade, May 18

Where have the network television audiences gone? According to Nielsen Media Research, there were 9 percent fewer eyeballs trained on ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC shows in April and so far in May than at the same time last year.

If you're a network boss trying to generate excitement about the fall television schedule, news about a sharp tumble in audience share couldn't have come at a worse time. ...

The networks' loss has been cable television's gain. Non-network shows like Mad Men and Damages have benefited from the willingness of frustrated viewers to explore the wider universe of cable offerings. ...

Digital video recorders are also more prevalent than they were a year ago. Freed from the tyranny of the network schedule, viewers can watch their favorite programs without regard to the original broadcast time. This undercuts the networks' ability to guarantee an audience of live eyeballs for advertisers.

It could be the end of television as we knew it. The irony is that, just as TV screens are getting bigger, the audience for the networks is going the other way.

Payday lending

The Lima News, May 16

Give the Ohio General Assembly credit: Every time you think state government can do no more to punish Ohio residents, they find a new way to kill jobs or restrict basic freedom. In the case of trying to eliminate the payday loan industry, state lawmakers appear willing to do both.

The Ohio Senate this week passed restrictions severe enough to shut down the payday lending industry in Ohio. ...

Ohioans again will receive nannying from Columbus. This time, it comes with the added bonus of killing an industry in this state along with thousands of jobs. Further jobs-killing regulation is a peculiar thing coming from a majority party in the General Assembly whose membership ran on lowering restrictions to make jobs creation easier. For now, the payday loan business has 1,600 outlets in Ohio, employing 6,000 people. ...

We understand the concern some have about payday lending, but adults should be free to borrow money under the terms with which they are agreeable. ...