|
|
Article: Space Program Pays Big Tax Refund.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 19, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Tax time is when a lot of Americans pause to ponder the big empty spaces in their wallets and purses. It's also the time of year when many of those same taxpayers are moved to rail against wasteful government spending.
An all-too-frequent target is the space program: ``Why are we sending people into space to study space sickness when we've got real problems downtown? What good is it? We should be spending that money on health care and education!
Good rhetoric? Yes. Accurate? No. Critics of government largesse should look for another whipping boy.
The reality is that the space program accounts for only a tiny fraction _ less than 1 percent _ of ...