NASA’S Luxury, At Your Expense, Extravagant Awards Ceremonies And Posh Hotels, Funded By Tax Dollars - CBS News

NASA’S Luxury, At Your Expense, Extravagant Awards Ceremonies And Posh Hotels, Funded By Tax Dollars - CBS News: "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. "