“Dear Big Bird: Thank you for your service. But your work no longer aligns with Administration priorities.

“Immediately upon receiving this email, you are dismissed from work for the American people.”

Sounds like an increasingly familiar midnight firing from DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency.

This time, the White House didn’t trouble Elon Musk’s government-wrecking team but moved directly against the gentle bird and all his neighbors living in the Sesame Street space.

Trump’s executive order in late April would cancel all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a major source of support for public television stations like WCTE based in Cookeville and broadcasting to thousands of homes in the Upper Cumberland.

Congressional appropriations cover a large slice (about 40 percent) of WCTE’s operating costs. The rest is filled in by voluntary donations, also known as memberships, from viewers and civic-minded underwriting from area businesses.

In a rural and economically disadvantaged area like the Upper Cumberland, it would be extremely difficult for the donor base to make up for the sudden loss of federal funding. If the station goes dark—a distinct but depressing possibility—that would spell the virtual death of Sesame Street for thousands of pre-school children and pupils the early elementary grades.

So what does America gain and what does it lose if Jim Henson’s Muppets are thrown into the ranks of the unemployed?

If we pull back every dime of federal funding for CPB, we’ll put about a billion dollars back into the government treasury. But against the background of a total $5.75 trillion budget, the savings from wiping out Sesame Street are tiny. The annual tax share for all of public broadcasting figures out to $1.60 per person per year.

How does that compare with the educational advantages to children preparing to enter kindergarten and first grade? How does that compare with the benefits of emotional support, socialization and ethical modeling for our youngest citizens?

Ask any kindergarten teacher about the difference between pupils who have been exposed to the kid-safe, mind-expanding experience of Sesame Street and those who have not. How do we put a dollar value on the lifelong advantage of an early start?

The political attack on public broadcasting isn’t directed against Bert and Ernie, Elmo and Cookie Monster. They’re just innocent bystanders in the carpet bombing of PBS.

The real target is the independent, professional, rigorous news reporting from the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR).

Both PBS and NPR reach millions of Americans, especially in rural areas, with highly accountable, fact-based journalism that digs deep for the real story, the real agenda behind the political theatre.

Hard-hitting news productions and documentaries from both of those CPB-supported nonprofits have consistently earned the highest awards in the industry and have maintained envious ratings for public trust and confidence.

And that’s the basic reason for the assault on public broadcasting. It’s too independent, too much committed to provable facts. For some in the powerful elite, too much truth is a problem today—and always will be.

The cancellation of federal funding to CPB threatens that reliable, trusted source of news and analysis, exploration and explanation.

Sesame Street would be regrettable but unavoidable collateral damage.

If you’re not ready to say goodbye to Bert and Ernie, The Count and Oscar the Grouch, you can do something. Call your elected representatives and tell them in no uncertain terms that you are totally opposed to the cutoff of CPB funding.

And let them know you are a voter and that you’ll be watching to see how they vote on this issue.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent—or just a concerned and alert American. Your opinion matters, but only if you express it.

Here are the numbers. If a real, live human doesn’t answer, be sure to leave a voice message.

• Congressman Scott DesJarlais — 615 896-1986 (Murfreesboro office), 931 962-3180 (Winchester office).

• Senator Marsha Blackburn — 423 541-2939 (Chattanooga), 202 224-3344 (Washington DC).

• Senator Bill Hagerty — 931 400-7080 (Cookeville), 423 752-5337 (Chattanooga).