[Alan Anderson]

Ideally, the result is more people who "get it", with many of them in positions having the authority and the resources to realize FIRST's purpose.

I would hope that any public money spent is not merely to bribe people into forming FRC teams, nor even to reward them for having done so. If the homework is done correctly, I expect funding to be used to celebrate science and technology, and to help recognize scientists and engineers and their achievements.

You get what you pay for, but you usually stop getting it when you stop paying. You also get what you celebrate, and that can be a positive feedback process.