Spring Break
What's more important?
Stop spending money on unnecessary projects!
Andrea Robertson
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Opinion
As we all know, the United States has found itself in the midst of economic turmoil. Many economists say that our country is spiraling toward a recession, which could ultimately lead to another depression. Unemployment rates are up. Banks are failing. Homes are foreclosing. Our economy is in a bad place, which brings me to my point - why is the United States spending money that they don't have on things that they don't need?
The United States is planning to construct and launch a satellite that will be able to track hurricanes and tornadoes much better than the technology that we currently have. Sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong! This satellite will cost the United States $7.6 billion! They don't have that kind of money!
Every day the National Debt increases approximately $3.84 billion; the debt is presently about $10.5 trillion. To think that our country has the money to build a super storm tracker is absurd!
On Oct. 3, Bush signed the bill to enact the bailout. This law allows the Treasury Security to take as much as $700 billion in order to help banks continue to give loans. The bailout is one of the most extreme moves our government has taken for our economy since the Great Depression. If we have to bail the banks out of debt by using our hard-earned tax dollars, so people can keep their houses, how could our government consider it plausible to begin funding a weather satellite?
For the fiscal year of 2009, our government will be granting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration $17.6 billion in order to continue their research on our planet and our solar system. I don't know about you, but with our economy doing so poorly, I'm not concerned with whether or not we continue to study space; I'm more concerned with whether or not I will have the money to pay my mortgage! My tax dollars don't need to fund space exploration or weather satellites; my tax dollars need to fund necessities.
America's leaders cannot continue to think that they can fund superfluous projects, when our economy is in such an awful state. The government needs to stop trying to work on new projects and address the issues at hand, like what will happen to the pocketbooks of the middle class and the lower class citizens in the next year.
Our government is finding itself in this terrible economic situation, because it is spending more money than it is bringing in. The government's wallet is just like yours and mine; if you spend more than you have, you go into debt. I don't understand how that concept is so difficult to understand. Don't spend money on projects that can be put on hold, when banks are being forced to foreclose on people's homes and employers are being forced to significantly cut back on their employees. Concentrate on the important issue of rebuilding our economy, then develop super satellites and explore space.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
The United States is planning to construct and launch a satellite that will be able to track hurricanes and tornadoes much better than the technology that we currently have. Sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong! This satellite will cost the United States $7.6 billion! They don't have that kind of money!
Every day the National Debt increases approximately $3.84 billion; the debt is presently about $10.5 trillion. To think that our country has the money to build a super storm tracker is absurd!
On Oct. 3, Bush signed the bill to enact the bailout. This law allows the Treasury Security to take as much as $700 billion in order to help banks continue to give loans. The bailout is one of the most extreme moves our government has taken for our economy since the Great Depression. If we have to bail the banks out of debt by using our hard-earned tax dollars, so people can keep their houses, how could our government consider it plausible to begin funding a weather satellite?
For the fiscal year of 2009, our government will be granting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration $17.6 billion in order to continue their research on our planet and our solar system. I don't know about you, but with our economy doing so poorly, I'm not concerned with whether or not we continue to study space; I'm more concerned with whether or not I will have the money to pay my mortgage! My tax dollars don't need to fund space exploration or weather satellites; my tax dollars need to fund necessities.
America's leaders cannot continue to think that they can fund superfluous projects, when our economy is in such an awful state. The government needs to stop trying to work on new projects and address the issues at hand, like what will happen to the pocketbooks of the middle class and the lower class citizens in the next year.
Our government is finding itself in this terrible economic situation, because it is spending more money than it is bringing in. The government's wallet is just like yours and mine; if you spend more than you have, you go into debt. I don't understand how that concept is so difficult to understand. Don't spend money on projects that can be put on hold, when banks are being forced to foreclose on people's homes and employers are being forced to significantly cut back on their employees. Concentrate on the important issue of rebuilding our economy, then develop super satellites and explore space.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 4
Dillon Godley
posted 10/30/08 @ 11:28 AM EST
"On Oct. 3, Bush signed the bill to enact the bailout. This law allows the Treasury Security to take as much as $700 billion in order to help banks continue to give loans. (Continued…)
Jackson Taylor
posted 10/31/08 @ 12:05 AM EST
Two interesting things about this article:
1) A clear lack of knowledge about the relationship between science and the economy. Can the author honestly not see the benefits of the satellite? Was hurricane Katrina so long ago? Floyd? In general, the technological prowess of a nation has a strong correlation to its economy, and general global standing. (Continued…)
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