Community Corner

Patch's Poll: Should the Federal Government Subsidize Big Bird?

As Sesame Street execs blow up over the use of the famous yellow feathered guy in an Obama ad, the question still remains: Should the federal government fund PBS?

In the days following the first presidential debate, the Twitterverse and Facebook exploded with references to Big Bird after Mitt Romney said he would cut subsidies to PBS, even though he liked the character.

The Obama campaign pounced on that pronouncement, claiming that Wall Street had nothing to fear from Romney, but Sesame Street better watch out.

On Tuesday, Sesame Street executives asked the Obama campaign to take down its Big Bird-related ad, according to CNN.com.

Find out what's happening in North Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns," the group wrote. "We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."

The Obama campaign says it's reviewing those concerns, but in the meantime, the question remains. Should the federal government provide funding to PBS?

Find out what's happening in North Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to PBS, federal funding makes up about 15% of the system's revenues, but that percentage is much higher in underserved communities and could mean the difference in keeping educational and commercial-free programs on the air. Romney's argument is that the funding would be better used to help close the federal deficit.

How do you feel about it? Take our poll and tell us in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here