Is America's aviation/exploration spirit dying ?

[John Baker]

Due to our zealousness for gargantuan all knowing, all seeing, all controlling, government, with it's millions upon millions of employees, along with the cost of their medical and retirement packages, the only thing all of our government agencies can concentrate on now is not providing services, but how to raise more money.

Forget things like research and exploration, the money is just not there for such nonsense unless there is a way to raise money by doing it, such as selling licencing or charging "fees". There is no budget for anything else.

Whatever feeble attempts we are making in space is just for appearance purposes only. I have a hunch that our next moon mission really will be in an old warehouse in Texas put on by Warner Brothers or the Disney Corp..

Our infrastructure is slowly decaying, as are many of our cities, due to a lack of funds caused mainly by payroll obligations, retirement packages, and public employee unions. Property taxes on property improvements keep many building owners from doing anything but required upkeep on their buildings.

We are rapidly losing our place in most all things to other nations, including education. We do not teach, we test, in order to gain more funding.

We hamstring most all research or scientific endeavors in order to provide busy work for public employees, and of course the fees they charge for their 'services."

Our need for a system of public agencies that are way beyond our means, is what is putting us out of any races with other nations... no matter what the contest might be.

-John

 

[Jimmy cooper]

When Jack Kennedy announced the trip to the moon, the tax rates were far far different. Look them up.

 

[Henning]

When Jack Kennedy announced the trip to the moon, the tax rates were far far different. Look them up.

Here's a good one all personal corrected to 2013 $$$
http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/fed_individual_rate_history_adjusted.pdf

Here's corporate from the IRS, just gives rates.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/02corate.pdf

 

[O-200]

This place is just close enough to "civilization" that we can participate in the better parts of it and ignore the rest.

My little city girl seems to like her blingy pickup truck and seeing stars at night. Thank God her parents took her camping a lot as a kid. If you don't like nature and some solitary activity in it, it's not for you.

Realtor told a serious story about a guy from NY who moved here to Denver Metro for work and chose a house out in our area. All was well for him and his wife until mother in law visited and freaked out completely that her daughter was living in "The middle of nowhere!" It's only 35 minutes out of town and 25 to "civilization". Apparently mother in law spent a week and wanted to go shopping every day in town and saw a rattlesnake and lost her mind about mid-week. Guy called the realtor and put the house on the market only a few months after moving in. Moved into the suburbs.

"Greeeeeeen Acres is the place to be!"

 

[txflyer]

The fiscal conservatives are right, we're too broke to explore space. We have old infrastructure and financial problems too monumental at the moment.

Robotic exploration, if that, is the only thing that can remain in these times of fiscal strife I'm afraid.

Privatization for profit is the only thing that might save it.