Got any seti/folding people still crunching numbers? If so, you may have already recieved notice of some "legistlature" going through the processes of being passed into a bill etc... here's what I have to say about this information...

I don't vote, but I voice my opinion to whomever I feel like, whenever I feel like it.. You may have some interest in protecting things that we struggle to get/achieve, even though some were paid via tax dollars, which may be in short supply or not supplied at all soon....

Today I recieved an email from the SETI newsletter sender people that was titled: "Save the arecibo Telescope: write to congress"

If you don't know what the Arecibo Telescope is, It's famous for being known as the worlds largest single dish radio telescope. It has been featured in scenes of several blockbuster movies, so you may have already seen it and just don't know what it's called, or what it's for....

I recommend reading a little more about it Arecibo public article website..
At this website you can find info such as who uses the telescope, what organization takes care of it etc..

If you understand some politics then you know all too often you have to read through the fine print of amendments as well as the complete bill entirely and understand politicians and their "legal terminology" or "THEIR LINGO" to even understand in plain english what it all means.. Some of these scientific organizations receive funds from various government programs "subsidized" or dollars contributed to such and such foundation, eventually trickled down to the facility through the propper channels, as a small percentage.. Many research facilities also receive private contributions, as well as public organizations that send procedes to other organizations that may also eventually send money their way etc.. It's a long convoluted process that intails many hands, taking some amount of money for their services, all the while keeping their organization floating, THEN sending a mere percentage of total amount gathered..

There's an article in the Cornel Chronicle regarding Former President Bill Clinton's vissit to the Arecibo facility, and also mentions two bills being looked at as fund raisers/sustained funds for saving the "arecibo radio telescope" Their focus is on the arecibo radio dish and it's location in "perto rico", but their broad scope is all sciences and research facilities in general.. In this article at Cornel Chronicle Online You will find mention of TWO senate/government bills at the bottom of the page, second from last paragraph; "Senate Bill 2862, which -- with Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuņo's H.R. 3737"
Here are links to the bills full text info; so you can have a look yourself,
HR3737

Where they talk about re-appropriating the Arecibo radio telescope towards the task of finding and cataloging "near earth orbit crossing comets and asteroids"

In plain english this means they want to use the Arecibo facility dish for searching for near earth orbit crossing comets and asteriods./ What it doesn't say is weather or not it will assist or prevent sending money out to non US territories, to build new dedicated facilities to the task that was mandated "finding and cataloging NEOCCA" which is a global concern, and should have international support anyway.....

At the same time, it says it wants to perpetuate the funds needed to maintain and opperate the Arecibo facility.. Which means we will still get work units to process in the search for intelegent life outside of our planetary system, up to the year 2020 with no gap in the available information..

I don't consider this "politics" or Anti- anything, I just want to point out some resources available to see what they are talking about.. With more info we can cross reference specifics to historical documents and compare the outcomes of the historical documents, in real world voted in bills and decissions.... This way you can use hind-site as a weighing in of what might be possible based on current bills/legistlature and do the research that is actually needed, in order to make an eddumacated choice on what and who you are voting for "if you vote".. Because so many people do not vote based on facts, and mainly vote on how they "FEEL" after hearing someone talk about something on TV....... Anyway, I've always wanted to go check that telescope out, maybe it will still be there when I can get away....