In infinite wisdom Joseph Lazio answered:

"R" == Rich  <someone@somewhere.com> writes:

R> In infinite wisdom Joseph Lazio answered:

R> How much debt are you willing to leave to your children to search
R> for SETI?

Please compare the Government budgets (...) for the defense-related
activities to those for SETI-related activities.

R> The problem of govt by debt remains.

Agreed.

If you'd find it easier, you may simply use astronomy research in
place of SETI-related activities.

R> You don't seem to be able to identify the problem.

R> And your logic is along the lines of 'others are stealing the
R> public blind, so it's OK if we steal some too'. I doubt you see any
R> problems with your attitude either.

For the record, I'm a deficit hawk.

So you say, apparently as long as your own pork is not being gored
(or something like that :-)

However, I also know how to
appreciate the scale of the problem.

It's not a matter of scale, it's a matter of process. The process is
broken and needs to be fixed.

Again, even simple arithmetic
serves to illustrate the basic problem.  In fiscal year 2002, the US
Government spent about 10% of its budget or about $200G (billion) on
"physical, human, and community development," which includes a whole
slew of programs, of which astronomy is a small fraction.

1) Where does the Constitution authorize the govt to act in this manner?

2) What are the effects of these programs?

In that
fiscal year, the deficit was, coincidentally, about $200G.  In this
fiscal year, the deficit is projected to be about $500G.  In other
words, you can eliminate essentially all domestic discretionary
spending and you still can't balance the budget.

Since the federal govt never had the power to legislate in these
areas, and they are having the opposite effect of their stated intent,
they should be eliminated. These things are in the purview of the
states, if they belong anywhere. But most states have also dug
themselves into big financial holes duplicating the federal govt's
programs, to the detriment of everyone.

The 1% or so that
goes to astronomy funding doesn't make a difference.

Yes, it does. You cannot fix the problem without fixing the process,
and making everything an exception does just that.

It's like trying to save pennies while throwing away tens of dollars.

And so everyone makes their ox an exception to the rule, and the
rule remains unchanged.

Do you have any idea just how much money the billions NASA spends
every year is? That's 64 dollars for every citizen, most likely
hundreds of dollars ever year for every taxpayer. Right now I
could use that hundred dollars.

Rich