$26.6 million to family members of the astronauts

[TomS]

"ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- NASA paid $26.6 million to family members of the astronauts who died on the space shuttle Columbia in 2003, a newspaper reported Sunday, citing recently released documents.

Documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel through a federal Freedom of Information Act request show that former FBI Director William Webster helped negotiate out-of-court settlements with the families.

NASA obtained money for the settlement through a congressional appropriation in 2004, NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said."

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I find this settlement disgusting.

Meanwhile the family of troops killed in battle get nothing but survivor benefits! Would it be too much for the government to pay 1 million to the family of any serviceman/woman killed in battle plus ongoing survivor benefits?
1 million dollars is nothing to the government.

[GiC]

I do believe 1 million dollars would be unreasonable, when you volunteer for the military you take the risk of dying in combat, no one owes your family a monetary settlement if you do die; hundreds of thousands have died fighting for our country over the last century, all their families got were flags.

Likewise, I believe settlement for the astronauts to be unreasonable, when you sign up for the space programme and fly to space on what are essentially experimental aircraft, you take the risk of something going wrong and not making it home, every astronaut knows the history of the programme and risks inherent in space travel in this day and age, it's just the nature of the job...if you dont like it find another career, it's not like they're forcing people into the space programme

[PeterTheAleut]

Where does the government get the money to give to other people, be they the families of astronauts or of military casualties?  From Joe Taxpayer, that's who!  Would you be willing to pay more in taxes so that every family of a war casualty can receive a 1-million-dollar benefit?  (As long as we understand this truth, I can't say Tom's idea is necessarily bad.)


Just a thought (from PtA): we need to be very careful with the potential of this subject to turn into a political discussion, such as are forbidden on this public forum.

[TomS]

Would you be willing to pay more in taxes so that every family of a war casualty can receive a 1-million-dollar benefit? 

No. But I WOULD be willing to reduce the AID that we give to foreign (especially Muslim countries such as Egypt which received 1.2 BILLION dollars in US aid in 2004) in order to do to do so. Wouldn't you"?

[Elisha]

No. But I WOULD be willing to reduce the AID that we give to foreign (especially Muslim countries such as Egypt which received 1.2 BILLION dollars in US aid in 2004) in order to do to do so. Wouldn't you"?

I don't see how that is objectionable...

Has Egypt given us any monies on a consistent basis?  (I don't count anything from the Lockerby incident even if it was anything at all.)

[Asteriktos]

Pentagon announces plan to improve care for injured soldiers

"Under criticism for poor treatment of injured soldiers, the Pentagon announced new measures Tuesday to provide more health screenings, improve its record-keeping system and simplify an unwieldy disability claims system. Testifying before a House panel, Michael Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense, and Major Gen. Gale Pollock, the Army's acting surgeon general, acknowledged a need for major changes in the outpatient treatment of wounded soldiers and veterans..."

[observer]

Don't forget the billions of dollars and lives spent for the chosen ones.  I curse them everytime I have to  take off my shoes at the airport.

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