Odyssey and MER Budgets Cut Options

[Ryan]

Just found out today at a MER all-hands meeting that both MER and Odyssey will each be suffering an immediate $4 million budget cut to help defray the cost of MSL. Read more here: http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/200...rs-budget-cuts/

[merman]

Hi all,

It is important for everyone to realize that these budget cuts are not set in stone, not yet. The budget will be cut, yes, but it may not be by a full $4 million over the next 6 months. Steve and others in the MER team are working to soften the blow; part of this will include approaching Congress for some extra money. This is where you, and the public in general, can help.

Write to members of Congress. Particularly, write to members of the Science and Technology Committees as well as the Appropriations Committees, for both the House and Senate. Some of the members of these committees may in fact be your elected members of Congress; all the better. For a list of who is on the committees (and subcommittees), take a look at the following sites;

House Appropriations Committee
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/...ommcode=happrop

Senate Appropriations Committee
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/...ommcode=sapprop

Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/...mcode=scommerce

House Science and Technology Committee
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/...mmcode=hscience

The letters don't have to be long, detailed, or technical. What's important is that they refer to the MER project, the budget cuts, and your support of the project and it's continued funding. Also, written letters arriving by mail have the most clout, with a fax coming in second. If you are a constituent writing your representative a letter, it means a lot.

Above all else, though, please be polite and positive in the letter. Don't rant and rave, put down other missions or projects, lay any blame, or deride individuals. This is very much a place where you'll catch more flies with honey.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support.

[Stu]

Steve and others in the MER team are working to soften the blow; part of this will include approaching Congress for some extra money. This is where you, and the public in general, can help.

The letters don't have to be long, detailed, or technical. What's important is that they refer to the MER project, the budget cuts, and your support of the project and it's continued funding. Also, written letters arriving by mail have the most clout, with a fax coming in second. If you are a constituent writing your representative a letter, it means a lot.

Above all else, though, please be polite and positive in the letter. Don't rant and rave, put down other missions or projects, lay any blame, or deride individuals. This is very much a place where you'll catch more flies with honey.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support.

Our support is guaranteed and no less than you deserve.

Question: what kind of impact would letters arriving from MER supporters from the UK have on these Powers That Be? Excuse me for trotting out cliches here, but if we stressed things like the MERs' "contribution to the global scientific community", "value for the US's image", "proof of the superiority of US technology to overseas competitors", etc would that make a difference? I would personally be writing a letter including those points, and stressing too the value of MERs for public scientific Outreach, encouraging kids - around the globe, not just in the US - to take up careers in science and technology, etc etc, IF a letter arriving from overseas would help the campaign.

I think this is an important point because any such campaign would feature members of UMSF, TPS and other international communities, and a lot of people will be wanting to write letters of support.

[Greg Hullender]

Question: what kind of impact would letters arriving from MER supporters from the UK have on these Powers That Be?

I'd think your best bet would be to write to your MP and suggest he/she send some sort of supportive memo to NASA or Congress. Be sure to supply suggested wording. I got my Congressman to write a letter to NASA supportiing the Kepler mission (a long time ago), and his staff were even kind enough to let me know when the mission got approved.

It's hard to gauge how much impact personal letters from overseas would have, but I wouldn't think it'd be much -- unless there were a whole lot of them. A letter from an MP, though -- especially a 100% positive letter along the lines you suggest (to the effect that this sort of thing does wonders for America's image abroad) should be a completely different matter.

--Greg