This week the Hollister Free Lance Around the Water Cooler panel answered the question – in response to GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich saying if elected, he wants to establish a permanent, colonized moon base – of whether the U.S. pursue efforts to colonize the moon.
Steve Staloch: “No. The romance of manned space flights is antiquated and too costly. Addressing issues on planet earth, and more importantly, in our own back yard are far more pressing than justifying NASA’s existence.”
Richard Herrera: “I don’t think we should colonize the moon or fund any of his crazy ideas. Let’s focus on the problems on earth such as helping homeless veterans and providing healthcare for children before we pursue ideas on the moon.”
Louise Ledesma: No, We need visionary thinkers but this is the wrong time to colonize the moon. Let’s dig out of this recession first. We need to ensure that everyone has good medical care, a world class education and decent jobs.
Marty Richman: “The U.S. must reestablish our national capability for space exploration with the objectives of scientific investigation and the discovery of life on other planets. We should go wherever those two long-range objectives take us.”
Ruth Erickson: “It could happen (maybe!) Colonizing the far-distant moon, in the long-distant future, could possibly happen if the U.S. spent quadrillions of dollars, which we don’t have. If the private sector, such as the Richard Bransons of the world, could fund such projects, who knows? Right now, Newt’s idea is a pipe dream!”
Nants Foley: “Let’s figure out how to stop fighting here on earth before we start in on the rest of the universe.”
Richard Place: “Not unless he can figure out how to do it at a profit. The answer to our problems is not spending more but less. To dream is grand but when you wake up you still have to go to work. I don’t think either party is getting the message that the public is telling them.”
