The Politics of Priorities

The Politics of Priorities

Since last week, it has been the goal of the majority of senators (with a few dubious exceptions) to pass a bill that compromises the will of the majority, represented by President Obama, with classic conservative values. Obama has taken great pains to ensure both that both parties are intimately involved, and that the public has a good idea of what is transpiring. This bipartisan spirit is both needed and good, but the cuts of the compromise reveal an alarming trend: scientific progress is considered by many politicians, on both sides of the aisle, to be "useless" spending.

Take note of some of the cuts from the stimulus package as it existed 2 days ago:

NSF 100% cut ($1,402,000,000)
NASA exploration 50% cut ($750,000,000)
NOAA 34.94% cut ($427,000,000)
NIST 37.91% cut ($218,000,000)
DOE energy efficiency & renewable energy 38% cut ($1,000,000,000)
DOE office of science 100% cut ($100,000,000)
-Panda's Thumb

What astonishes (and disappoints) me more than anything is the short-sightedness of many in office. If we expect to continue to compete in the global economy, there are arguably few more important investments than in science, technology, and clean/renewable energy. We've tried simple tax rebates before and, as was expected by many economists, the majority of that money went to paying down debt or saving. The core of our economic decline lies in the consumer's inability or lack of desire to spend. So, if consumers aren't spending, and tax rebates only hand them money to save, what's left? In Obama's opinion, the government must "prime the pump" by spending on worthwhile programs that create jobs, aid crippled or collapsing industries, and invest in future growth.

While debate about the first two is mostly rhetorical, a large portion of what Congress considers pork is...well, see above. Also on the list are many programs designed to upgrade immediately the energy efficiency of government offices and vehicles. How this effort, which would stimulate purchasing and jobs for all the people creating the parts and carrying out the labor required, can be blasted as "non-stimulative" is mind-boggling. And if we begin to consider science as secondary in importance, what does that mean for music, theatre, and other arts programs that have continuously made America one of the most culturally diverse nations on the planet? Or are we, as a legislative body and culture, simply blind to anything but cold, hard cash (imaginary though most of it may be)?

And is this not the behavior that caused the landslide?