"A Michigan State University study shows everyone knows about the transition; but 44% of Michigan residents are not ready for it. So to help, the MAB has teamed up with the Michigan National Guard."

"Workshops will also be available at National Guard education centers. Locally, one will be held October 23rd at the Wyoming center."

Michigan National Guard enlisted to help with DTV transition By Nick Monacelli

Comments: Hurry, call the National guard! Send in the troops. Michigan is not ready for the transition to digital television!

I now officially declare the DTV transition is this century's craziest boondoggle. It may not be the most expensive, but it is the most ridiculous.

First the government is currently spending 1.5 billion dollars to help people pay for the converter boxes to receive the digital signals. Congress made this wise decision at the same time they were cutting funding for Food Stamps by about $700 million in 2005.

Second, the government will be giving away some $70 billion worth of airspace to the major media conglomerates. This little tidbit has not received much media exposure, oddly enough. In return for letting the government auction off the current analog spectrum for about $10 billion, the government is giving them the the new digital spectrum they will be using, valued at $70 billion, maybe more.

Of course, there is also the millions of dollars the government is spending on educating the public about the transition, usually skipping the part about the $70 billion giveaway.

Now, the Michigan National Guard is being used, at taxpayer expense I presume, to help educate Michigan citizens about the DTV transition. Don't they have better things to do?

The argument that this is necessary because citizens need to have access to bulletins in case of an emergency is ridiculous. There's still radios. Radios can be just as effective as conveying emergency information as TVs.

Just because most people are dependent on television for their news, does not mean they are now incapable of turning on a radio. It is not a national emergency when people cannot watch TV.

However, politicians somehow believe that because people in Michigan are not moving fast enough with the transition and/or are too confused by the DTV campaign, the National Guard in Michigan should be mobilized.

The poor must get their TV!

Marie Antoinette would be proud.