NASA'S Luxury, At Your Expense

(CBS)  Everyone knows exploring space is dangerous, and the costs are astronomical. Which is why, just last month, NASA was able to squeeze $1 billion extra from the Senate.

That very same day, NASA also posted an online notice few people saw - seeking four-star hotel bids for its December awards, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

The awards are to honor workers who've contributed to flight safety. But it's not just a low-key dinner for a handful of the best and brightest.

Try five days and four nights at a luxury Florida hotel for 300 honorees and their guest. Fancy receptions and front-row tickets to the most exciting show in the space business, the shuttle launch.

All paid for by your tax dollars.

"I think it's kind of ironic that they're gonna be extravagant at how they spend money and they're coming to us saying they want more money," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said.

Former astronaut Bill Nelson made the case for NASA.

"Right now we're at a critical point because NASA has been starved of funds," Nelson, who is also a legislator, said.

At least they won't go hungry at the awards.

There's a reception to feed 750, with a "carving station with beef and turkey," coconut fried shrimp, spring rolls, shrimp wrapped with bacon, 5-6 desserts, antipasto plates to include assorted meats, cheeses, grilled vegetables and assorted marinated vegetables, breads. And in case anyone's still hungry, that's followed by a three-course sit-down dinner.

And most of the honorees? They're not NASA employees. They're from Boeing and other billion-dollar contractors that aren't picking up the tab.

Bryan O'Connor is a NASA spokesman. What does he say to the criticism that these events are frivolous or extravagant?

"I think what I would do is ask the people who we have honored to give me an idea if they think this thing was reasonable, if they felt they were honored properly," he said.

Attkisson said: "I wouldn't ask the honorees, I would ask the people who pay for it: taxpayers."

"It's the cost of dinner and putting people up in a hotel for a couple of days," O'Connor said.

What is the cost? Counting the reception ($64,000), dinner ($35,000), awards ($28,000), ground transportation (tour: $7,700; launch: $20,200), airfare ($105,000), hotel and food ($135,000 together), you're talking $400,000 to $500,000.

If you think that's pricey, consider this: the NASA holds its big awards every time there's a shuttle launch. December's extravaganza will be the third one in 2007. Honoring all those people is costing you about $4 million a year.

If they'd have half as much money to honor people, would they be able to do it?

"If we were told that we had to reduce it I think we would reduce the number of honorees rather than trying to go to a poor place or a place that doesn't have good service," O'Connor said.

No risk of that anytime soon. All systems are go for NASA's December conference at a luxury Orlando hotel.

[moonlight_to]

It''s not the occasional ceremony that NASA holds that''s really a problem, nor is it a chronic problem (they do not hold these kinds of ceremonies very often).

Just consider how much our federal government spends on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis to wine-and dine domestic and foreign dignitaries, senetors, congressmen, etc., or even business interests. The events are just as much of an overkill as this one particular event, but on a MUCH grander scale.

NASA does not hold these ceremonies very often. When they do it''s to honor the people who have made significant strides the honorees made to improve the space program, yet our federal government goes all out with black-tie events on a regular basis...servings at these events include even caviar...they employ some of the most sought after chefs and the most exotic of foods! And these events are for not just a handful of people, these are at times for dozens to hundreds of people at a time and happens pretty much on a weekly; or at the very least monthly basis.

So who is really wasting our, the taxpayer money more without any clear gain or return on the investment of holding such events?

This sort of thing really needs to be put into a better perspective. Almost all major employers hold regular award banquets, diners, etc. to honor those who have contributed them most to further productivity.

[ngc799701]

Amen, itgrammy.

Speaking of money, some additional perspectives:
-$500,000 for 600-750 people is less than the cost of 1 spacesuit.

-During the Apollo program, NASA was 4% of the federal budget.

-Now, it''s less than 1%, and we''re still able to build an international space station more elaborate than anything we did during the space race with far-reaching medical, environmental, and physical research implications for all of you and your children. Far more important than just trying to one-up commies to the moon.

To quote astronaut Clay Anderson who just came down from the ISS last week w/ the rest of the STS-120 crew, "what we are doing here is very important for all of human kind. It''s worth the risk, it''s worth the cost and you folks on the ground are the people who make it happen. So I want you to take pride in your work and constantly look toward the heavens, for it is there you will see your future.

"For all the flight control, training and engineering teams in Houston, Huntsville and Moscow... I say thank you. You are indeed the best and the brightest that our world has to offer."

While I recognize what can be deemed excess spending in this story and see why people might be upset, keep the big picture in mind.

[itgranny]

ngc799701 You''re right on point.


Sorry joetermine, I can''t agree with this point: "Basically, if you want scientific development, you have to pay for the shuttle launch party"

I believe the best of the best, like the NASA of old will work for the prestige of working for NASA. If these people will only work for the highest bidder, why would we trust then with our top secrets and technologies. Prestige and money are not the same thing.

[why_not_nar]

--part2--
If you like, you can just stay there for a year, almost every group that attends, you could do a piece on. Few of us can afford to go there for the family vacation. That part is true. Sharyl we expect better. This isn''t about Katie Couric. You have been an investigative journalist for a very long time, and we deserve, and you are capable of a better effort. So, you made a mistake.

Finally, in glancing through the comments, I was impressed. Very little nastiness, a lot of thoughtfulness. And what a great notion, Sharly can read the feedback of 100 people who have taken the time to listen and comment about your story. It''s amazing how consistant the feedback is.

Last week something really interesting happened. Pakistan attempts to stop ANY media coverage of it''s arrests. What they couldn''t or didn''t think of stopping was the INTERNET.

[why_not_nar]

Pussbumps,
I hear you. I can''t do the math. Something like 20-30% of the money we spend in IRAQ (that is .5 trillion i think) is being siphoned off by a corrept government. Can someone please do the math for me. Let,s see....a trillion is a million, million...i need some help deviding 1 million by 100-200 billion that is being STOLEN. Yes, STOLEN. Let''s see, what percentage of 100 billion is one million?

Btw,the moon in question isn''t gamma, gamma 13. (our solar system only has nine planets) The moon is Titan, which is a moon of Saturn. I am not trying to change your mind...but please take a look at the following link...
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/178
Then if you have time, click on this one:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

hey, i am open to ideas....i am just afraid that as they said in the Watergate investigation that "we are missing the big picture". And if money is the "big picture", we picked the wrong item to talk about.

Leaving the government aside, anyone have an idea of what the profits of a fortune ten company like Shell/Exxon are today? And no it''s really not about their "excellent" technigues of producing oil.

I do agree with many of the comments. Sharly should know that good investigative journalism takes time and effort, not nearly as easy as paying someone at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando to show you the NASA bill. (which i agree should be public). No question, it''s a very nice hotel.

[why_not_nar]

Really interesting post. President Eisenhower called it the ''military industrial complex''. Today many of those nations are US based, so they must at least follow the SEC laws of transparency. I wonder how long it will take for Shell to resell its stock and re-list it on a foreign exchange?

But, here is what''s interesting. The President''s who have been closest to, been a part of, or benefited from the military industrial complex have been our worst leaders. Eisenhower didn''t, neither really did Nixon, Kennedy''s money came from his family, Ford was a decent professional politician, Reagan was a broadcaster and an actor, and Carter a peanut farmer.

However, George Busch senior, although a fairly decent guy, is/was directly tied to Saudi Oil.

The same with his son, only his son isn''t decent or intelligent.

I signed a petition authored by a former Senator calling for impeachment. That won''t happen.

But there are things that WE CAN do. We don''t have to renew the Patriot act in its current form. We can pass a law (which would be redundant if it wasn''t for Bush) that says that we respect the Geneva convention and do not torture (including waterboarding). We can do what this President does, JUST SAY NO.

I wonder if congress will have the courage to do that?

[l8c6]

The United States, the vision and the dream is dying in the hands of those who claim to be the biggest patriots. Many of these people are barely americans but rather global dealers.

[l8c6]

CBS, MSNBC, CNN, EXXON, AT&T, Haliburton, The Bechtel Corporation, Bristol Meyers, GE, Verizon, Comcast, Big HMO''s, Professional sports teams, etc. etc. etc. ----ALL AT OUR EXPENSE.

It''s the private government that is forming that is breaking the backs of the people.

[jtermine]

$4 million is actually a low number. And a four-star hotel is hardly "posh" (think your average Marriott or Hyatt). I used to do event planning for a major Fortune 100 company to have its global team of 150 auditors meet in the same city for meetings quarterly. These events easily ran $400-500K a piece to fly people to the same city, book them in a 4 or 5 star hotel, pay for their meals and transportation, pay the event speakers, etc.

The Vista Launch party Microsoft threw last year with celebrities performing for its team of software developers exceeded $2 million -- that was for one party.

NASA''s event planning needs are probably not unlike those of big corporations. CBS should not be throwing large numbers around and making generalizations like "posh" just because it gets public information. $4 million is less than 1% of NASA''s annual budget. This is not real journalism -- just cheap non-news clearly stilted against the subject of the news story.

Basically, if you want scientific development, you have to pay for the shuttle launch party -- otherwise these scientists will go work for big corporations who do not have to disclose their event-planning statistics.

[jtermine]

$4 million is actually a low number. And a four-star hotel is hardly "posh" (think your average Marriott or Hyatt). I used to do event planning for a major Fortune 100 company to have its global team of 150 auditors meet in the same city for meetings quarterly. These events easily ran $400-500K a piece to fly people to the same city, book them in a 4 or 5 star hotel, pay for their meals and transportation, pay the event speakers, etc.

The Vista Launch party Microsoft threw last year with celebrities performing for its team of software developers exceeded $2 million -- that was for one party.

NASA''s event planning needs are probably not unlike those of big corporations. CBS should not be throwing large numbers around and making generalizations like "posh" just because it gets public information. $4 million is less than 1% of NASA''s annual budget. This is not real journalism -- just cheap non-news clearly stilted against the subject of the news story.

Basically, if you want scientific development, you have to pay for the shuttle launch party -- otherwise these scientists will go work for big corporations who do not have to disclose their event-planning statistics.