| wxman007 |
| (Meteorologist) |
| Sun May 15 2005 04:08 AM |
Re: Wrong Forum But I Don't Care...
|
ED,
I am not calling you out, but your post demonstrates the outright mistruths that the NWSEU is spreading...let me elaborate.
Quote:
1. Raw weather data would not be available to the public (for free) from the NWS. No observational data, no radar data and no satellite data.
The exact opposite is true....from the bill.
"* (c) ISSUANCE OF DATA, FORECASTS, AND WARNINGS-
* (1) IN GENERAL- All data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings
received, collected, created, or prepared by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration or the National Weather Service shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, be issued in real time, and without delay for
internal use, in a manner that ensures that all members of the public have
the opportunity for simultaneous and equal access to such data, information,
guidance, forecasts, and warnings."
The public (ALL the public) gets unfettered access to all data that NWS creates and receives.
Quote:
2. Before, during and after a major weather event, NWS meteorologists would not be allowed to go 'on-camera' to prepare the public or discuss the damage - and that includes the folks at NHC.
I can tell you that this is an issue that I have with this bill...I want it changed and have shared this with CWSU..I do understand where they are coming from with this...it is designed to prevent NWS offices from providing free TV and radio weathercasts for TV stations (and it has already happened in one area...so don't think it can't)
Quote:
3. Weather radio would only be permitted to transmit warnings - in other words, most of the time it would be silent.
Again, no...someone out there thinks that this bill is trying to get rid of the zones, etc...not at all...NWR would keep churning along (considering 96% of the country don't even know what it is, what difference does it make anyway? LOL)
Quote:
4. Weather data would not be available from the government on the internet for use by the general public - it would only be available through a service provider who had paid to receive it.
I think where this one comes from is the following part of what I posted above:
"* (2) MODE OF ISSUANCE- Data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings
shall be issued under paragraph (1) through a set of data portals designed
for volume access by commercial providers of products or services and by such
other mechanisms as the Secretary of Commerce considers appropriate for
purposes of that paragraph."
It is inferred by many that this means only weather vendors get the info and can parse it out for free...but you have to look at the last part, in which the Secretary can disseminate the data however NOAA sees fit...Websites, FTP, etc...JUST like now!
Quote:
5. Free weather data, paid for by the public through their taxes, would have to be paid for again by those same citizens.
See above.
The problem with the bill is that there are lots of areas that are gray or poorly worded, and there are several areas I would like to see changed...however I can assure you that the nefarious accusations that have been levied towards the CWSU aren't what is actually in the cards.