Penn State's Artificial Turf Grass Program

It seems that there is a Penn State Grassroots Astroturf Network and they now have a blog at the CDT. What is this network you ask? Why it's where NittanyBots get there marching orders.

So – what do Network volunteers actually do? First, they stay informed about legislative issues affecting Penn State by reading e-mail newsletters I send them every other month. Second, they respond to “action alerts” I send them periodically and use the Grassroots Network Web site to get in touch with the governor, their state representatives and senators, and sometimes members of the U.S. Congress. It’s really easy to do. Literally, it takes only a few keystrokes for Network volunteers to send e-mail messages supporting Penn State directly to their elected officials in Harrisburg and Washington.

One of the big legislative issues for Penn State is the annual budget appropriation it receives from state government. Every year, the state provides Penn State with millions of dollars to help educate its students. While the state’s share of Penn State’s budget has been shrinking for years, and is now only around 10 percent, it’s still very important.

Because the state appropriation and tuition are the two main sources of funds for actually “delivering” education in the classrooms and the labs, a healthy state appropriation improves the quality of a Penn State education and helps keep tuition increases down. It also helps boost the state economy. Every dollar that Harrisburg “invests” in Penn State returns nearly $20 in direct net economic benefits to the state. That adds up to more than $6.1 billion a year, making Penn State the single largest contributor to the state’s economy.

I wonder how many of these NittanyBots have been working the phones and sending email to derail Right-To-Know legislation in the State House of Representatives?

If you aren't familiar with Astroturfing you can read about it here.


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