When Sen. McCain accused Sen. Obama of promoting wasteful earmarks with a $3 million “overhead projector”, I had to find out what was going on.
Honestly, a $3 million overhead projector, that sounds like the $10,000 toilet seats from the Pentagon budgets a few decades ago with hyperinflation. Only… it’s not. The “overhead projector” is, in fact, a highly complicated piece of equipment. Oh yes, it is a projector, and it does project an image overhead…into a planetarium dome! The “overhead projector” is in actuality a Zeiss star projector.
Not quite the same thing, is it?
Planetarium star projectors are not cheap, not to mention to install! This particular planetarium projector was for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago (The oldest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere!), whose 40-year-old projector badly needs replacing. It is failing and the manufacturer can no longer support it. They no longer have or make replacement parts. Because of light pollution in big cities, the planetarium is the only opportunity for many kids to see the full splendor of the night sky. The planetarium has daily school groups which come to the planetarium for just that purpose, but many may not have the chance if the projector is not soon replaced.
I loved watching Johann in our small planetarium in Mystic. His eyes were wide with wonder and his mind raced with questions and observations. Last night he saw the moon and Jupiter through an 8″ telescope for the first time. After a pause, but not taking his eye from the telescope, he said he saw “the Galilean Moons!!” The man operating the telescope was astounded that Johann knew Jupiter’s moons are called the Galilean Moons. Johann is now hooked on scopes, both tele- and micro-.
Science literacy is a critical issue for our nation, which affects our international competitiveness and national security. The Adler Planetarium is visited by millions of visitors each year, most of them children. Planetariums and science museums are a vital part of keeping a sense of wonder in young (and not so young) minds and inspiring them to explore engineering, math, and science.
The Adler Planetarium has raised a significant portion of the funds required through private corporate donations. They have pursued state and municipal funds. Now, like the St. Louis and New York planetariums before them, they are asking for a portion of the required funding from the federal level. It’s only right, as it’s not only Chicago and Illinois kids and families that will benefit.
Three million dollars to spark scientific inquiry in the minds of the next generation??? Small change for this nation, and definitely not pork… I say it’s absolutely imperative to invest in our future.
Read the Adler Planetarium response (pdf)
I’ve tried to steer clear of politics this season, but this habit of targeting legitimate science spending and misrepresenting it, then calling it wasteful earmarks spending, bothers me.
