🚀 go-pugleaf

bromley blair pat (bromley@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) wrote:
: msteele@freenet.niagara.com (Mike Steele) writes:

:    
:      Sure it can.   The moon only takes 3 days, and mars can be reached
:      in 7 months using current technologies.

	Okay, you got me there....  What I mean is that neither is 
inhabitable without a large capital investment.

: >	Oh, come on now!  How can it help Canada's situation?  Let see 
: >some facts, some sort of study!  All I can see is a programme to eat at 
: >our debt (anything that wastes the nation's money affects the debt.  
: >That's what the debt is), with NO ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL GAIN/BENEFITS for 
: >years to come.  With no gain, it certainly can't help the Canada's 
: >situation (and please don't explaing to me how a moon rock will solve the 
: >welfar problem).

:     The average Canadian spends about a seventh of his American counter
:     part on space exploration and development, and the average American
:     spends about $50 a year on space; this is less than 0.5 % of the
:     budget.  At the very least, every dollar spent generates a dollar,
:     so the program/investment is not a money sink.

	Every dollar spent generate a dollar? Huh? Explain that one again 
please...


:     Compare this with money spent on welfare, UI, excessive health care,
:     plus a few other things.
	
	Health care is the last thng that should be cut.  I like the fact 
that I pay taxes to keep me healthy.

:     Space exploration and development is a social and economic gain.

	I believe in a space programme, funding should not be cut, nor 
should it be increased, for the time being, of course...  Give Paul 
Martin a chance to balance the books a bit more...

:     
:       Judicious investment of funds and cutting out wasteful spending
:       will get rid of the deficit and pay off the debt.  

: >: >    The only argument people need to go to space is the same one
: >: >    used for any explorer / adventurer:  Because it's there.

: >	I agree.  It is there, but it is too expensive to bring here.
:         
: 	It really isn't too expensive.  30 million Canadians have
: 	enough wealth they can pool together to some impressive
: 	things, provided that they remain committed to it.

	It's hard to stay committed in something doesn't entertain 
immediate results, especially for 30 million people (or 20 000, in the 
case of the NJ Devils)
:       

-- 
Mike Steele			| St. Catharines -- Canada's Canal City
msteele@freenet.niagara.com	|              Go Leafs!