Preferences for spending cuts in various areas:

(General social survey 2010)
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes...-debt-deal/?hp


[snip]

Democrats Republicans
Space Exploration 63 54

0 is increase spending, 50 is keep spending as it is now, 100, cut spending.

So, most people in the U.S. agree that space exploration should be cut.

This will allow for significant savings for other, more important
endeavours. For instance servicing the debt costs (only in 2010)
413,954,825,362.17 US$, almost 414 billion in ONLY ONE YEAR.
(Source:http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/r...ir_expense.htm)

Compare THAT figure to spending in space exploration (around
15 billion) and you will see how ridiculous all this talk is.

This is interesting because it shows that the space program
has lost all most of its popular support. This will make it
very easy to put an end to it without any public opposition.

Space is of course not the only thing that is should be "cut".

Kansas has decided that any dollar spent in arts endowments should
disappear. The budget for the arts has shrunk to zero.

That's obvious too, art doesn't bring any revenue and is
generally useless. Specially in Kansas.