#1
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
I'm sure some of you get a daily update from www.space.com, or maybe a
lot of you do. I just finished reading a comment piece that strikes a chord, really blew me away. COMMENTARY: NASA Has a Vision, It's Our Nation That Needs Glasses http://www.space.com/news/commentary_vision_030904.html This is the first I have ever heard that NASA was working a plan to a manned Mars mission even without the rest of the country. Check it out, now where can we find a Goverment that will "put up or shut up" Bob Zeoli |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
This is the first I have ever heard that NASA was working a plan to a manned Mars mission even without the rest of the country. Hi: Oh, yeah. NASA has a vision alright. When they think the public requires it, they and the politicians trot it out, conveniently never with hard numbers or dates. When its work is done, it's quickly forgotten, I'm afraid. If they were really serious, Robert Zubrin would be NASA Administrator right now instead of...uh..."what's his name." ;-) Peace, Rod Mollise Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_ Like SCTs and MCTs? Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers! Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
Allow me to offer another perspective on why the USA will not be funding a
Mars mission any time soon: We are broke. Hi: Well, there is THAT! :-) But that can be dealt with. My point is that even when the deficits come down (assuming), we STILL will not go. It will _always_ be something. Breakdown the Federal spending and the WASTE. There is PLENTY of money to finance a Mars mission without cutting elsewhere. But we won't. ;-) Peace, Rod Mollise Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_ Like SCTs and MCTs? Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers! Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
In article t,
"Bill G." wrote: Hi, Rod, I do not mean to be disagreeable, but I think it is a mistake to think we can find the huge sums needed for a Mars mission if we merely cut out government waste. What waste? Where? It is difficult to find "waste" in large amounts in identifiable places in government budgets. One man's "waste" is another man's public water system. Nationally and locally, our citizens already feel overtaxed, yet our national and local governments find that they do not have the resources to do what they want and need to do. The Bush Administration's answer to every problem is to cut taxes, and, guess what, we now have horrendous budget deficits and will for many years to come. Don't kid yourself that we will not. We have huge and costly financial obligations looming. The truth is that no one in government has figured out yet how we are going to pay for these costly financial obligations. The Bush Administration's answer is to borrow huge amounts and spend. We can do that for a while, but we know that we are saddling our children with an ever-increasing national debt. Shall we borrow still more money to go to Mars? Bill, We don't just 'feel' we're overtaxed- we ARE overtaxed. As a person who ran his own small business for 18 years, and had to deal with government daily, I saw plenty of waste, on all levels. I'd list them for you, but I'd get too depressed. I also worked for two not-for-profits for another 20 years, and the amounts of government money that I saw wasted in at least one of them would make you angry. And look at the incredible entitlement programs for our senators and congressmen. I heard both Gebhardt and Dean say in the debate the other night that they could completely fund a national health care program by reversing Bush's tax cuts. Do you believe them? Unlike the rest of us, government doesn't have to live within any budgets. It doesn't matter who's president. Running short of money? Just increase taxes, especially on those who are proven money-makers. Still short? Well then, hit the working poor and social service recipients with more cigarette taxes and lotteries. Boy, don't get me started on state lotteries! Oh, and it will help if you encourage class envy. And have you ever looked at the taxes in your phone bill, electric and gas bills lately? Up and up. Then when you have all the money you need for awhile, just spend it recklessly. What the hay, you can always get more. I know, I'm a cynic......shrug Starry Skies Anyway, Rich |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
There's lots of waste, it's called PORK, and I have seen first hand the biggest
PORK getter that lived, he is from Hawaii and has dreamed up such projects as the H-3 freeway that starts near Peral Harbor and ends on the otherside of the island near the MC base over there, they already had two major ways over the hills to the other side and this one, with it's two major tunnels cost something in the area of 100 BILLION to build something that starts no place and ends no place. Now while that in itself wouldn't pay the NASA bill, it would have at lest started. Just take a real good look at the PORK spending that gets attached to other bills and gets passed without debates, such things as a $5 million study to see if snails could live in the desert. I don't mean worthwhile projects, but the shear number and amount of PORK spending each and every year could go a long ways to getting our space program back onto the launch pad. -- "In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening towards an east that would not know another dawn. But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go again." Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars SIAR www.starlords.org Bishop's Car Fund http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/ Freelance Writers Shop http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord "Bill G." wrote in message k.net... Hi, Rod, I do not mean to be disagreeable, but I think it is a mistake to think we can find the huge sums needed for a Mars mission if we merely cut out government waste. What waste? Where? It is difficult to find "waste" in large amounts in identifiable places in government budgets. One man's "waste" is another man's public water system. Nationally and locally, our citizens already feel overtaxed, yet our national and local governments find that they do not have the resources to do what they want and need to do. The Bush Administration's answer to every problem is to cut taxes, and, guess what, we now have horrendous budget deficits and will for many years to come. Don't kid yourself that we will not. We have huge and costly financial obligations looming. The truth is that no one in government has figured out yet how we are going to pay for these costly financial obligations. The Bush Administration's answer is to borrow huge amounts and spend. We can do that for a while, but we know that we are saddling our children with an ever-increasing national debt. Shall we borrow still more money to go to Mars? Bill G. Hi: Well, there is THAT! :-) But that can be dealt with. My point is that even when the deficits come down (assuming), we STILL will not go. It will _always_ be something. Breakdown the Federal spending and the WASTE. There is PLENTY of money to finance a Mars mission without cutting elsewhere. But we won't. ;-) Peace, Rod Mollise Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_ Like SCTs and MCTs? Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers! Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
Shall we borrow still more money to go to Mars? Bill G. Hi Bill: Sure, if necessary. And, you know, it wasn't the Apollo Program that broke the bank, but 'Nam. Also, NASA tends to put a price tag on a Mars program that is WAY too high. Why? Don't ask me, since that's the opposite of their usual approach. Frankly, many of the folks there, in management, anyway, seem scared of a Mars program. I believe that it is important enough for our grandchildren and great grandchildren that we do this thing that we need to do WHATEVER is necessary to do it. I'm willing to sacrifice a SuperSized Mickey D's meal a week to do it. That's what _I_ think. You or other folks may differ, and that's fine. I understand that many, if not most, folks don't put the priority on Mars I do. That's THEIR problem! :-) As I mentioned earlier, I would guess that your view will win out, and that we will not go to Mars any time soon, if ever. But that does not mean I have to like it! Will you do me a favor? If you haven't done so, get a copy of Rober Zubrin's _The Case for Mars_ and read it from cover to cover? Then email me and let's talk... ;-) Peace, Rod Mollise Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_ Like SCTs and MCTs? Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers! Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
|
#9
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
As an engineering exercise, quite doable; as a political issue, probably
impossible. Hi: I'll give you that it's politically impossible, but I don't think of it merely as an "engineering exercise"...more like..."a way to preserve the human race." Peace, Rod Mollise Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_ Like SCTs and MCTs? Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers! Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
USA Needs Glasses
Hi: I'll give you that it's politically impossible, but I don't think of it merely as an "engineering exercise"...more like..."a way to preserve the human race." Rod Mollise needs SUN GLASSES!! |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Orion's "apo" | [email protected] | Amateur Astronomy | 126 | September 13th 03 10:44 PM |
Glasses and observing | Bill Cotten | Amateur Astronomy | 16 | September 8th 03 05:08 AM |
Novice asks about eyepieces! | Mr. Roboto | Amateur Astronomy | 3 | September 4th 03 05:51 AM |
GTO ZOOM review (short & long :-) | Mark & Roslyn Elkington | Amateur Astronomy | 4 | August 17th 03 12:27 PM |
New Widescans | Rich McMahon | Amateur Astronomy | 5 | July 24th 03 10:54 PM |