Obama: 8 Billion For High-Speed Rail, 0 for NASA & JSC

Don't you dare point out that Roger Clemens took steroids or that Warren Moon beat his wife. That's hating on Houston.

 

I guess I need to explain my viewpoint better. I am talking about people that have zero pride - neither past or present - not just valid criticism. I've seen people call all the JSC people lazy, welfare engineers, drunks, etc. Its the let all of NASA die a horrible death crowd.

JSC overall will be ok, for a while at least. ISS is here, all the training is here, and they execute the mission. Stuff gets built here too (avionics integration, flight software, etc). Companies are all over the nation are doing the same type of work.

Do people think I am telling them what to do? Did I say you aren't allowed to criticize, or that you shouldn't be able to? I said the opposite - that criticism invokes improvement. Good grief...

 

I have no idea how I got the idea that you were defensive about criticism of the Johnson Space Center. Goodness, musta pulled it outta thin air.

I think it is absurd to conflate criticism of NASA with criticism of Houston. Period. It makes me sick when people randomly interchange the two, to be honest.

One is not the other. I can say that Bill White is doing a crappy job and it doesn't mean I hate Houston. I can say that NASA is a boondoggle and still be a loyal Houstonian.

Don't infer that I should love NASA in order to love my city.

 

You attributed a statement to me that was not me. . .. just an FYI

Rocket River

 

No taxpayer funds should go toward high speed rail or the space program.

Which is not to say we can't have those things if someone wants to pay for them.

 

In my head, buses are more practical for short distances, and planes more practical (and faster) for long distances, than trains.

The permanent nature of the routes and lack of flexibility are the fundamental flaws imo.

 

I have a LOT of pride in JSC and NASA, but also understand that there are budgetary realitied that need to be addressed.

 

For those who say Nasa wastes money, I think they are missing the point of Nasa being primarily a R&D group.

The nature of R&D is trying and failing.....that is why public companies that do a lot of R&D overcharge for their "Hits" to compensate for their misses.

I think we should keep NASA going, but I also love the High Speed Rail system that the EU uses, and think the US should not be behind.

While the oil is running out, and other countries usage is going up, we need to find other alternative transportation solutions for this country.

High Speed rails can run on electricity, supplied eventually by renewable fues sources.

It is a step in the right direction, albeit a lot of other steps need to happen to make it there....but to me, it is 100% the right move.

DD

 

Last time I checked, the routes from one city to another haven't changed much over the years.

 

Not to mention getting in and out of trains is much easier than getting in and out of airports.

A high speed train in total travel time, is less than taking a plane......

For instance, Houston to Dallas, about 220 miles......

Basically a one hour train ride.

Arrive at trainstation 15 minutes early and a one hour ride to Dallas....total travel time 1:15 minutes

By plane

Arrive at airport an hour early (at least) flight to Dallas 50 minutes.

Total travel time 1:50

The train is much quicker and easier......

DD

 

My idea. . . esp in a place like Texas
I should slap solar panels on the thing. Heck
I was thinking you should put what amounts to a solar covering the whole
way and attach it to the grid. Excess energy will be put on the grid
when it is not in use .. . . .

Even if it does not produce enough electricity to run the thing
every little bit counts

Rocket River
Line the route with solar panels and windmills

 

There efficiency is really poor, but there is some new technology that allows you to get solar type panels painted onto a thin piece of plastic...very cool stuff.

DD

 

I understand
but
they won't get better until we start using it more

Rocket River

 

houston was, is and always will be THE BAYOU CITY!!!

 

I live in H-Town, and we here in Clutch City think you are insane if you think the Bayou City has one official nickname. Also, I don't base policy decisions on nicknames.

 

How many of you are working or have worked for NASA-JSC? So many opinions but almost everyone has no ties to it. All this talk of "NASA ain't got it no more" is non-sense.

NASA has been underfunded for a very long time. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget

There's too much negativity behind Constellation program. The argument that it's a failed project that requires too much money is stupid. In 1965, NASA's budget (~$33 billion in 2007 dollars) was primarily used for the Apollo program. NASA's current budget is ~$17 billion being split between lots of projects (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/rewrite/budget/fy2009/nasa.html). You're really expecting NASA to pull of what it did in 1965 with a fraction of the price? And don't give me that evolution of technology BS. That does NOT apply to Space Exploration. Ya the damn monitors in the shuttle are CRT and you can install LCD's now but that's pretty much the most improvement you can make. Until there is a new propulsion system created (conventional methods are wayyyyy inefficient), the cost will remain relatively the same.

Axeing NASA is a bad idea. It's a great program that goes beyond simple jobs creation. Obama is completely wrong if he ends up killing NASA and it will haunt his administration forever...

p.s. - Everyone please ignore shovelface's claim that "YOU MUST LOVE NASA BECAUSE IT'S SO GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE TO YOU". Dumbest argument ever.

 

stupid comparison

 

Not so much.

Maybe Shovel and O'Keefe can get permission to leave their parent's basement, put on some janitor uniforms and go shoot some viral video of Obama's plot to destroy a Texas landmark