Wednesday, June 19, 2013

LIES TRAVEL FAST

Today I heard Hannity re-tell the old wingnut lie that NPR is totally funded by the government and I didn't think much of it until I wanted to get a look at NPR's new headquarters as covered by Fishbowl DC and found that his lie had wings:
UPDATE: Contrary to reports spreading on Twitter, this story has never indicated that NPR’s building was paid for with taxpayer money—the story actually makes no mention of funding whatsoever. While it is true that NPR and its affiliates, like many tax-exempt non-profit organizations, do receive government grants, such money—according to NPR’s audited financial statements— is a relatively small part of organization’s budget. Construction of the new building was funded through a combination of proceeds from the sale of the old building, tax-exempt bonds (a kind of bond available to all non-profits in capital campaigns) and private gifts and donations. The District of Columbia, in an effort to keep NPR in the city, has agreed to a 20-year property tax exemption that will amount to about $40 million. The building cost approximately $201 million and has been in the works for the last six years.

1 comment:

Ken Hoop said...

On balance I don't believe NPR has offered much against either the domestic or foreign policy politics of the Elite.