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From: @S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:amon@cmu-ri-fas.arpa
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Budget cuts
Message-ID: <1697@mordor.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 20:46:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: mordor.1697
Posted: Tue May  7 20:46:08 1985
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From: Dale.Amon@CMU-RI-FAS

I am not in substantial disagreement with Eugene on the matter of budgets.
Neither I nor others have been lobbying for cuts in planetary programs to
save the space station. We have been lobbying to keep the budget intact. I
would love to see a carrier task force traded away and the resultant funds
switched to useful purposes. Early commercialization of the STS might be
another way to free up funds for the station. It must also be noted that the
space station budget is still not very large, relatively speaking. We could
probably pay for it by using the profits of selling hammers, coffee pots and
steel washers to the DOD...

My ire was directed at those who ARE trying to get other programs cut to
save their own piece. I might add that I have been trying to verify the
rumor that set off my explosion. I have thus far verified that a group of
planetary scientists did indeed approach Sen. Slade Gorton (Majority leader
of the Senate Appropriations Committee) requesting such tradeoffs. I have
not yet verified whether Carl Sagan was one of them, but I'm working on it.

If the planetary scientists are, as a group, attempting to cut other peoples
throats, then I have to begin wondering whether we should turn the other
cheek. (I am of a basically mellow philosophy: let the other guy take the
first swing at you. Then nuke him). I really do doubt that there are a more
than a small handful of planetary scientists who are of this low a moral
caliber.  I find it hard to imagine how anyone could have gotten into
planetary science to begin with without having dreamed of GOING themselves.

If I should come across the names, I will post them so all will know who
they are. A few morons can cause a great deal of harm and generate a great
deal of noise.

It is hard to be anything BUT explosive when you discover others working at
cross purposes for their own selfish ends. I might also make it clear that
although I spend a great deal of time trying to defend the space station
budget, I have nothing to gain from it but hope for the future. I am not now
and have never been employed in any capacity remotely related to NASA or
aerospace. (This is not to say I never will, but if I do it will most likely
be with an entrepreneurial firm intending to build and/or operate it's own
launch vehicles.  My reaction to red tape is to tie knots in it and do what
I want while someone tries to figure out the snarls, so I'd never make it
with any government agency or contractor)

I will also add that my earlier post generated a personal mail response to
me from Louis Friedman, Executive Director of the Planetary Society. If
anyone is interested, I would be more than happy to post his comments.

I will state that he denies the Planetary Society has lobbied against the
space station. As far as I know at this point, as an organization, this
appears to be true. I do not yet know whether the people who run the society
are among those who are attacking the station. I will reserve my judgement
until I find out for sure, and if they are not, I will be more than happy to
apologize to those who happened to be the wrong target.