I did not realize that George Bush earned his astrophysics degree.

Bush's re-election quest prompted him to propose increasing NASA's $15.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2005. He foresees an eventual manned mission to Mars.

While we view images from the $820 million Mars rover, we must remember that the international space station is mysteriously leaking air, 50 percent of the space shuttles exploded and NASA lost the multimillion-dollar Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander in 1999.

Most of us forget that Ronald Reagan proposed similar far-reaching plans in 1984, specifically setting a 1992 completion date for the malfunctioning international space station at a cost of $8 billion. Current estimates push the completion to 2006 with a $28.1 billion to $30 billion price tag.

I believe that humans should explore space, but unless I voluntarily pay the bill, I should not force you to pay for my vision. Entrepreneurs have historically invested their own money while weighing the risks and benefits of their endeavors. Some have failed. Others, like Bill Gates, have succeeded while benefiting others.

The president is not a scientist. He attended the school of politics, which teaches him to make promises with taxpayer money and then leave office when the programs inevitably fail at our expense.