[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

For state/local government, $2 million is a lot of money. Local governments get by on what they can, while the federal government not so much.

Plus, what would you rather campaign on, getting the budget in with tax cuts, in with no tax cuts, or in but over? If that $2 million went to balancing the budget or tax cuts, that's money people will see. People don't get "FIRST" and see it's benefits, and most people now want to see instantaneous results, which such headlines as tax cuts and balancing the budget offers.

I'm not defending this at all, I wan $4 million in the budget for FIRST in EVERY state spending bill, but assumptions and hasty comparisons won't help anyone. Football field pay for themselves with tickets and concessions, robots don't.

Hey Joe, I don't mean to fire back, but FIRST is an investment in the future. It will not and doesn't pay off immedietly like a Tax Cut does, but in the long run it will make money. Listen to some of the Key Note speeches they have at regionals and in Atlanta, what FIRST provides to students is an opportunity to look at career paths that they wouldn't of considered otherwise.
/Tangent