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From: al@ames-lm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space,net.taxes
Subject: Re: SPACE STATION ALERT
Message-ID: <182@ames-lm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 21:23:43 EST
Article-I.D.: ames-lm.182
Posted: Mon Mar 19 21:23:43 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Mar-84 06:28:45 EST
References: <214@qtlon.UUCP>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 33


In response the the following (edited):

Suggested alternatives to wasting money on a space station:

1)	feed a few of the starving people in the world

Earth has enough problems: why not solve them before making new ones in space?

The federal government of the U.S. spends approximately $300-400 billion a
year on human services of one sort or another.
NASA's budget is approximately $7.7 billion, of which $150 million is
earmarked for space station in fiscal 85.  I.e., the government spends
50 times as much on trying to solve Earth problems as on NASA as a whole,
and about three orders of magnitude more than on the space station.
I believe that this is a fairly reasonable ratio, especially considering
that NASA's programs have had a large positive effect on the lives of
millions of people (communication satellites, pacemakers, computer
chips, solar cells, etc.).  Communication and weather satellites
are particularly effective in aiding the peasants of the world with
weather forcasts and communication where no lines have been layed.
That's one reason why India and Indonesia have recently put up such satellites.

You might be interested to know that
NASA's goal is to have a budget equal to 1% of total federal outlay.
The present sum is less.
This is not an excessive sum to spend on the future.

Lastly, reputable economic analysis suggests that each dollar spent
on the space program generates $7 - 14 of economic activity.  Since
the feds take about 25% of every dollar in taxes, each dollar spent
on NASA generates $1.75 - 3.50 in tax revenue over the next few years.
Think about it.