| | Current Rating: |  (3)  (8) -5 | |
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 | |  | President Wants to Slash the Space Program | | | | | Despite government spending at record pace and billions of dollars being directed towards federal stimulus programs, President Obama has taken steps to cut major elements of the US space program. The proposed cancellation of the Constellation program alone will result in the loss of 20,000 job nationally.
The recent actions by Obama are in stark contrast with his stands during the 2008 Presidential campaign. During the race, Obama held a rally with NASA workers and condemned the Bush administration for its lack of support for NASA. The would-be president promised to ramp up the Constellation program, which would replace the current shuttle program. He also made declarations for going to Mars and returning to the Moon.
Obama during the campaign: "As president, I will establish a robust and balanced civilian space program. Under my administration, NASA not only will inspire the world with both human and robotic space exploration, but also will again lead in confronting the challenges we face here on Earth, including global climate change, energy independence, and aeronautics research."
Instead, the President's proposal would slash NASA to the point where the United States will have to rely on Russian spacecraft to keep Americans in orbit after 2010. Obama's recent actions has spurred widespread, bi-partisan criticism.
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) told Deseret News, "Gutting our own space program would be a gift to Russia and China, the chance for them to assume the helm as the world leaders in space exploration. I don't think this is the kind of tragic legacy for which this administration, or any other, will want to be known."
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) criticized the new strategy prompted by Obama, "We were living a hallucination...vision without resources is a hallucination."
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| |  | | | | | I know we have some important issues going on with our country but I also think we would be stupid to stop the space program. We can ill afford to let the other countries to get ahead in any way, this included. |
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| |  | | | | | America needs to keep the space program moving forward. All those employees (20,000) pay taxes and keep others employed - the teachers instructing their kids, the stores where they shop, the construction of their homes, etc. We take for granted the numerous items we use everyday that were developed initially for the space program.
Oh, the shortsightedness of our elected representatives - do they represent us? |
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| |  | | | | | With the economic mess the country is in, he's doing the right thing. We need jobs not people in space. |
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