Budget Protest: People Spoke Out – Advocacy Groups Did Nothing

Keith’s note: With regard today’s protest event at NASA Headquarters, I simply do not understand why the Planetary Society (and all those other advocacy and industry groups) totally avoided even a mere mention of this event. You would think that some sort of tip of the hat toward active citizen involvement would be worthy of mention. A few weeks ago Planetary Society had a petition that got “20,787 signatures from around the world” and delivered them to some office in Congress. That’s nice – but it is a little weird that they are mounting an effort with non-US signatories when the folks on Capitol Hill only deal with their actual American constituents’ interests. Also, you’d think that the whole notion of a “rising tide lift all boats” or “united we stand, divided we fall” might occur to the Planetary Society folks. Instead they try and paint themselves an anointed savior and then only when it comes to a part of NASA’s budget – not all of it. This budget cut is an issue that affects all corners of the space sector in America – and the impact that this has on all Americans – not just a portion thereof.