Going to the Moon - Scratch That

Going to the moon, or not, ought to be a decision made by more than one person. There is something in all of us, as we struggle day to day, that makes us want to reach out beyond all the mess to something that might be more amazing.

When I thought of the president cutting funds for the program, I thought of the westward push of early pioneers. There was a lot of pain along the way and some of it should not have been done, i.e. the Indians, but we forged ahead into the unknown. It was a spirit of adventure and a realization of a need that drove people to leave security to establish something daring and new.

The government played a part in backing the railroads but that was after others had marked the way west. Maybe it will not be government that takes us into space. We all know they seem to do everything the most expensive way. I am sure that after private enterprise cuts a trail back to the moon and beyond, the government will have a moon-tax and a Mars-tax to support their regulations of the venture.

I think Obama made a mistake. Beyond that, I think it is near-sighted when it comes to why our space program exist. It sets us apart from most of the world. There is something to be said for doing it first. It seems a shame that once we figure out how to do it that we just lay everything aside. There must surely be resources there that we can use. The moon would make a great place to launch other missions. What's the deal? I know they talk about money but while they talk about saving it, they are looking for ways to spend it.

It comes down to taking away the dream. Humanity has been reaching out since we got here. Like those before me, I too have a dream. I dream of when going into the rest of our solar system is no more unusual than reading about our forefathers coming across the ocean in ships or going across the continent in covered wagons. One president will not stop that but he can delay it while he is in power. It is sad.

Infrastructure of the United States

We have outgrown our roads. Anyone who travels will know this to be true. You might cruise along for a while but when you get within a hundred miles of one of the major cities, you are in for a stressful trip. It shows up in the way people drive. It shows up in wear and tear on vehicles and fuel consumption. It shows up in time lost. Time equals production in our economy. You cannot just count road time. You have to count recovery time for those who get to work and must come down from the trip.

Our present highway system was a great idea and has served us well. We need a new great idea to take us beyond this point. If the world stands, the population will only increase. For our country, it means everyone who can scrap together some cash or credit will want a car when they get old enough to work a few days a week. Something has to be done but it must be done with freedom in mind. You cannot just wait until there is a national bottleneck and a national emergency to start thinking about it.

There must be some ways the traffic on our highways can be diminished without telling people what to do with their lives.

I think Disney World can offer one suggestion. The train they have going around the park would make a great way to travel between major cities. Locally, they talk about a train between Chattanooga and Atlanta but this talk only peaks when gas prices go up. Then, it dies down again. We actually need a nice train from Chattanooga all the way to the coast of Georgia, then south to Florida's major cities. Since tax from gas is a major source of revenue for the state, they will have to change their mindset for this to happen. Such a system would benefit everyone if carried out properly. You'd want a paying system set up that would be not so costly to build. That leg would support future building. The way to do that would be to build a leg to the beach where everyone would like to go once in a while if they could afford it.

Washington and the Baltimore area desperately need a system to carry their local traffic around the area.

Another way to cut down on the mess would be for businesses to put forth a dedicated effort to let people work closer to their home. For example, people with identical jobs could swap jobs on a voluntary basis. The incentive would be the savings in transportation. Business travel could be traded for teleconferences. It would cut down on travel expenses, airport congestion and those late night bar room deals where customers prefer entertainment to quality service.

We need a long range vision but a short range goal. Do what we can afford. Pick out two cities and build a nice transient system. Use it for a model to encourage others and to work out the bugs.

I hate to say it, since I love the sound of a good engine when it accelerates, but for the future, cars should be a diminishing thing, the railroad should be used more instead of so many long haul trucks. It will require a complete change in the mindset of America. It will require a vision. It will require a willingness to turn lose of a fun time and plan for a better day.