[Atlas Sneezed]

"...look at another angle - there are millions of folks on earth with "mobility" impairments..."

What percentage of my earning do you need to keep them happy?

[camle]

as I sent you in your mail, wouldn't it be better for them to earn their own keep, like you and I? I'm not necessarily talking about a GOVERNMENT project because we all know how they turn out, but rather something private, long term, and with a positive benifit greater than the sum of it's parts.

Mars is an unworthy goal, it must be only a starting point. We need to colonize space, obtain new sources of raw marerials, food, etc., plus room for humanity to continue to expand and prosper. We need true long term thinking.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

"What percentage of my earning do you need to keep them happy?"
I am not without sympathy for your position, but I still think you are not seeing the bigger picture.
100% of my earnings would not have been possible without the space program. The space program, as flawed as it was and still is, created far more wealth than it consumed. I would prefer a free country where people are not discouraged by taxation and regulation from investing in space, but either way, space exploration is a bargain.