Keep in shooting for the moon

Published on Friday, February 5, 2010 12:26 AM CST

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Earlier this week, the Obama administration released their proposed 2011 budget, and there are two items that are very disturbing for the economy of this area. President Obama’s budget plans to cut the funding for the Constellation project and the Ares I rocket. The Constellation project was started by President George W. Bush to set up a base on the moon to be used as a stepping-stone to other space journeys to planets like Mars. The Ares I rocket would replace the aging space shuttle program and be used to shuttle supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station.

We think this is a major mistake on the president’s part for two reasons. First, and most importantly, the loss of these programs directly affects St. Tammany Parish. Many of the parish residents work at the Michoud Assembly Center and the Stennis Space Center. With the space shuttle program winding down, the area was hoping the Constellation and Ares projects would keep our economy going strong. If these two programs are scrapped, it could mean hundreds of lost jobs, lost business and lost tax revenue for our area.

The other reason that we should not abandon manned spaceflight is that NASA and the space program been responsible for many technological and scientific advances in the past 50 years. If it were not for the first moon program, the integrated chip would never have been invented, and we would not have the personal computer and all its spin offs today. NASA scientists and engineers have made many discoveries that affect everybody for the good.

Slowing down our exploration of space is not a good thing. Cutting the NASA budget could be a death knell for our parish and our local economy.

The fragile national economy is finally making its effect felt here in St. Tammany Parish. Cities and towns are feeling the pinch after several years of dodging the bullet. The president has made jobs a priority, so we are wondering why he is proposing budget cuts that would eliminate thousands of job.

The budget still has to be passed by Congress, so we urge all citizens here to get in touch with Sen. David Vitter, Sen. Mary Landrieu, and Congressman Steve Scalise and tell them to vote down any budget cuts to NASA and the manned space program.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

8 comment(s)

Neil Baker wrote on Feb 15, 2010 1:06 PM:

" I feared “crazy” label.

Easter 1963, I'm five on New Orleans City Park mini-train.
See baby 100 yards away. On tracks?
Train stopped, already knew, park got quiet, screaming mother, dead baby.

Twenty years later, 1983, USS Enterprise, day out returning to San Francisco after nine-month cruise. Don’t call warning about incompetent Ensign crippled with inferiority complex in full compensatory mode. Next day, orders incorrect engine room equipment configuration. Can’t answer astern bell. Ship aground. Lucky. Didn’t lose cooling to eight hot reactors. San Francisco still habitable.

Dare sound crazy.
TRUTH fears no trial. "

Clinton Billedeaux wrote on Feb 13, 2010 1:00 PM:

" Neil Baker scores one more for free speech. Sorry, Neil, I'm thinking something a little less crazy, but that's a good try. It's even the right train of thought. The whole population gathering around an idea and pushing it forward. I just hope we can come up with something that doesn't make the Northshore sound like mental ward. "

Neil Baker wrote on Feb 11, 2010 2:30 PM:

" You ask, "what can the residents of St Tammany do that means anything to people outside of this parish?"

We can say "NO!" and be first to refuse futher participation with murder in Zionist wars.

We can be first demanding the long overdue independent, fully funded and fully empowered 911 investigation.

We can be first demanding a demonstration of an astronaut's spacesuit and nickel porous plate sublimator cooling system in a vacuum chamber.

We can be first demanding an independent investigation of the holocaust by forensic experts.

We're weary of our slavery to Zionist lies. "

Steve S wrote on Feb 11, 2010 7:41 AM:

" Hey Neil,

You're an idiot.

Love,

Steve "

Clinton Billedeaux wrote on Feb 10, 2010 11:17 AM:

" Neil Baker scores one for the First Amendment. Now for something more on topic. The question we need to start asking is what can the residents of St Tammany do that means anything to people outside of this parish? "

Neil Baker wrote on Feb 9, 2010 1:46 PM:

" Founder of the Scientific Method, Francis Bacon, said, “the human mind is designed to deceive itself.”
If a lie is big enough, an entire planet can be deceived.
Gemini spacewalks, Apollo moonwalks, and the International Space Station are all hoaxes.
NASA has walk-in vacuum chambers where astronaut space suits and nickel porous plate cooling systems could be publicly demonstrated but they won’t be because they are a hoax.
Zionist criminals rule the USA. We are slaves.
9/11 was a Zionist job. 3000 Americans were murdered to justify sending another 5000+ to early deaths in Israeli wars.
Demand an independent investigation. "

Evan wrote on Feb 7, 2010 12:59 PM:

" You're against cutting the budget for NASA because it might hurt those employed that live here, but if NASA was in Ohio you'd probably be applauding an effort to cut spending on something as wasteful as building a space station on the moon. All you cut-the-budget anti wasteful spending clones are all for cutting programs and wasteful spending, but when it suddenly affects you we all have a conscience now? Typical. "

A Stennis Employee wrote on Feb 6, 2010 8:19 AM:

" Yes, if the proposed budget is approved it will be a huge blow to St. Tammany Parish. We survived Katrina and now the President may give us something worse to deal with. But, this will not just affect St. Tammany Parish, thousands will lose their jobs at many NASA centers. The President is not cutting the NASA budget, he IS directing NASA to spend the funds in a different manner. Yes, there will be jobs created in the more scientific fields but the losses will be greater. The President is not looking at the big picture. "

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.