Comments on: U.S. Astronomers vow to help prioritize science funding

By: Oz Engineer

Oz Engineer — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:21:28 +0000

Unfortunately, the AAS appears to forget the truism that people in power will use that power as they see fit. If that includes listening to special pleadings and acting on them, then this will always be the case, whether this association or that official wishes otherwise.

By all means educate your friends associates as to the downside of this type of activity, but the rules of the game are not decided by astronomers or associations of scientists – they are decided by those with political clout, whether through elected office or high bureaucratic office.

And I thought that astronomers, of all people, are best situated to be aware of the shape of the world and the forces acting on it.

By: Nihilodei

Nihilodei — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:28:12 +0000

Great Cod its good to have a cynic fest…

Truly, if bean counters didn’t advise governments, we would be sucking up funding like crazy. There is a painful balance.

Its just they never, ever realise that the spin off from one good, no great, paper is many hundreds of other papers and the associated technology advances.

Just think how dull beer would be without the diffraction grating, the accidental application of the hall effect and (COD!!!) not using a tuning fork.

Actually, I like the tuning fork.. but I am nearly fifty…

“Where’s the bridge, where’s that goddamn bridge!”

Afaeodontism… never trust your parents with money!!!!

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:43:02 +0000

Earmarking can occur for other reasons: you have in your constituency a rocket or part manufacturing plant. It’s therefore in your best interest (as an elected official) to earmark x amount of dollars for purchasing from your district, regardless of actual need. Manufacture a farcical “mission” that “needs” what you’re providing.

All too often economic and electoral priorities get first dibs over science. It comes back to dealmaking later – I got my earmarked rocket money, so I don’t oppose senator Y’s proposal to cut NASA budget by that amount. The ISS has got to be the biggest gravy train of this kind ever.

By: Barton Paul Levenson

Barton Paul Levenson — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:53:27 +0000

Here’s a nice SF plot. Imagine a future where the government no longer funds research, and astronomers have to suck up to rich people and corporations to get planetary missions funded. The Richard Mellon Scaife Mars probe. The PNCBank mission to Venus…

By: Ed Davies

Ed Davies — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:18:39 +0000

Even if they make little difference within astronomy, perhaps these words are a useful tool for any Senators or Representatives who wish to oppose earmarks.

By: blue collar scientist

blue collar scientist — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:06:59 +0000

I’m not really confident that the AAS rumour mill notices that much news along the lines of their members talking to their reps. I remember an incident of congressional interest in a NASA-granted program which, as far as I can tell, was not the result of lobbying on the part of people in the program. The program got an earmark the following budget cycle, which was very nice for them. But I don’t remember even people within the field talking about this, either at conferences or on the primary online discussion forum for researchers in the field. What I do remember is that the people who would have been expected to mill the rumours instead made disparaging remarks about the intelligence of congresspersons in relation to a different matter, which I thought was a mistake, both factual and strategic (and I said so, thus making lots of friends as usual).

My skepticism about the efficacy of the AAS rumour mill aside, I wonder if the concern here is about earmarks as such, or about PI-initiated lobbying activities that circumvent funding prioritization activities? Do earmarked programs really get funded whilst prioritized programs lack funding, or is it *merely* the fact of earmarking (or program lobbying) that galls? I’m not familiar enough with the issues to believe I know the answers to these questions, but I am familiar enough to wonder whether these issues aren’t being used as levers in a broader power/money struggle.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:04:42 +0000

DM-

You’ve got part of the earmark story, but don’t forget the opportunities Congresspeople have to ‘bring home the bacon’ with a local pork project, which they can then brag about for the next election cycle.