What is the "Fairness Amendment" and why has ONE.org advocated for it, according to Josh Peck?

Answer 1

The Fairness Amendment has to do with farming and the farm bill. An independent analysis by leading agricultural economists this month shows that the commodity provisions of a Farm Bill reform proposal rejected by the House Agriculture Committee, called "Farm 21," would save $21 billion in government spending over five years.

See the report (.pdf) from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI).

The commodity provisions of "Farm 21" would reduce net farm revenue by $19 billion over five years, but the farmers would make some of this money back in reduced rent to non-farmer landowners. Farmers would also benefit from other provisions of the proposal that were not counted in this estimate, including improvements to nutrition and conservation programs.

The "Farm 21" proposal makes sense to strong proponents of Farm Bill reform, but even with the rental savings, increased demand through nutrition programs, and conservation payments, it is easy to see why it has been a hard sell in farm communities. As a consequence, the proposal's long-time sponsor, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), has recently been working with other legislators on a more "politically practicable" amendment to the largely non-reformist bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee last week.

Early reports suggest the new "Fairness Amendment" preserves some of the strong reform elements, gives ground on others, and incorporates some administration reform themes for bipartisan appeal (see FarmPolicy and the Ruminant). Keep an eye on the Fairness Amendment as the Farm Bill approaches an unusual struggle on the floor of the House.

Answer 2

The fairness doctrine, is a law where if someone says something controversial about politics on the right, say, rush, then the station has to air an opposing viewpoint by say a peta activist that wants equal time. This fatigues the radio station so eventually, they take rush off the air. I don't know what Josh Peck has said, but I oppose the fairness doctrine.

Answer 3

If you mean the Fairness Doctrine...

It was a law and policy that first came about 40~60 years ago. The idea was that because broadcast media (radio and TV) were so limited, it would be unfair if they only presented one side of a debate -- and thus the law required them to give equal time to all sides of an argument.

The doctrine is obsolete in the modern era, because broadcast radio and TV are no longer the primary source of information -- with the internet and sattelite and cable TV, there are plenty of other choices and sources avialble.

Answer 4

I've heard of the 'Fairness doctrine" which is the opposite of what it sounds. It's the idea to create some regulation designed to keep the liberals monopoly on the media.

Answer 5

Liberals can't compete in the market place of Ideas so, as usual, they want government to make the playing field 'fair' and 'even'.

Marx is smiling in hell!