The President gets it !!!!

[santosh]

Originally Posted by JesseK

You know, I just had a conversation with someone at the Florida regional who told me that high schools in the U.S. spend $millions on their football stadiums and sport arenas. It's pretty shocking when you consider that 'non-sport activities' keep having their budgets cut, and cut, and cut. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the community that supports something will pay for something, regardless of what it takes. To realign things for academia (including Band, Arts, Music, Wood Shop, Robotics, etc), there has to be local culture shifts before we can do a nationwide culture shift.

...Yeah, but in tax money received back, those stadiums most certainly pay for themselves after a few year's and more...

[keehun]

Originally Posted by santosh

...Yeah, but in tax money received back, those stadiums most certainly pay for themselves after a few year's and more...

That's the inherent problem. Short term & quick payoff verses investment in the future that will never directly pay off the investor but to society as a whole. Money screws everything.

[misspunk]

I think it's a good idea to spread the word about FIRST around. It will be all over the news if the president comes to a FIRST competition.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by misspunk

I think it's a good idea to spread the word about FIRST around. It will be all over the news if the president comes to a FIRST competition.

He could start by going to his own alma mater in hawaii that has a FIRST robotics team, team 2090. They have a great team. When Dean came to visit Hawaii, he did a speech at Obama's school.

[CarterM]

We need to get Obama to go to Nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NorviewsVeteran]

Originally Posted by CarterM

We need to get Obama to go to Nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is in a different thread, please keep it there.

[Feisty_one]

A couple of thoughts from an old guy:

Membership in the <Politicians> goup and the <teachers, scientists, and engineers> group is not mutually exclusive. There are many in our government who are both and are willing listeners to proposals increased technology in education.

Sputnik was launched when I was in the 1st grade, which created almost a panic in the USA due to the perception that we had fallen behind in math and science. Priorities in education changed in short order as students were urged to concentrate on these fields. This is the way things work.

[artdutra04]

At least someone gets it.

Last year our town spent over $2 million dollars to install an Astroturf football field for the two city high schools in our town to use.

This year, their budget is $1.8 million dollars in the red, and 30 teaching positions, all extra curricular activities, and all middle and high school sports are on the cutting block.

Oh the irony.

We lose all of this, just to have the entire city sit and watch the huge waste of money they spent on fake plastic grass to sit unused because there would be no more sports.

[robostangs548]

Does anyone by chance have Obama’s number? I was looking through my phone and I have seamed to misplace it....

[NorviewsVeteran]

Originally Posted by NorviewsVeteran

That is in a different thread, please keep it there.

Seriously guys.

[Zach O]

Everyone make a very good point about how FIRST deserves funding, but I think before we hope someone must step up and show our president how important this is, and give him some of the facts that shows we NEED this, and funding would help increases this.

[J-Brock]

I think if the presedent watched a compatition, I think he would enjoy it.

[Trent B]

Originally Posted by santosh

...Yeah, but in tax money received back, those stadiums most certainly pay for themselves after a few year's and more...

Yea and after it is paid off via tickets and other things, the money is then put towards sports teams and a new stadium which is put towards training new players and making a new stadium. If we can't afford to build a stadium in a few years because of an economic depression, what good will training a bunch of professional league grade players do to benefit us as a society. Yet 20k for a robotics team which will train a bunch of individuals on future skills cant be done.

[nathanww]

The other part of this is that not all of your return on investment is necessarily in money. If you spend the money on a new stadium, you might make a profit. If you spend the money on upgrading school lab facilities, you might inspire someone to make a vaccine for HIV.

Thta's one of the things I love about FIRST--I think the idea of combining a sporting event and scitech education is one of the best ways to effect this culture change.