Obama worries about getting screwed by DTV transition

News site Ars Technica posted an article today about Obama/Biden calling for a delay in the DTV transition, set to take place feb 17. While his team cites problems with the converter box coupon program (which has no money left) and concerns about the "low" number of operators on staff to take calls the week of the transition (2300), it seems clear to me that the real reason president elect Barack Obama is worried about the transition is that it takes place less than four weeks after he is sworn in and if it turn out to not go well, he have this nationwide fiasco associated as being his failure. while that may be unfair, it would be irresponsible to change the date now. the DTV transition date has been changed twice already, long before it was a financial issue to do so. but now that we are a month away from the transition and every network has been preparing for a year, it would be more cost effective to double the amount of money in the coupon program fund (another $1.5 billion) and double the number of operators taking calls than to push back the date.

My proposed solution for the government to save money: make the converter coupon worht only $30 instead of $40. this would actually make the coupon program fund go much farther than a 33% increase, because when there is an option to get two of something for free instead of one, people will choose two even when only one is needed. making the cost of each box small but not free will lessen the hoarding effect, and stretch the fund to double the number of household for the same amount of money.