Thanks for the words James:
on the education Recommendation #5: The American Math & Science education system is in disarray

I think there is a more deep rooted problem with this. In the a graduating high school senior at least in New England has a 20% plus chance of droping out before graduating.
Couple that with employment oportunities that need little beyound high school education or the unwillingness of the employers to pay for higher education capable employees due to job type requirements.
Leads most to ask why go to college when it will cost so much to get the degree in any field of endevor and the pay back will not be very quick or possibly not at all in my life time for the amount of cash for the higher level of education.

Education is the key to future Nasa success but for Recommendation #1: NASA Needs Fundamental & Youthful Transformation to occur. I feel it also hindges on the youths of today going into as I previously commented onto college for the sciences and mathematics. There must be localized jobs that not only require this knowledge an learning but also jobs that the pay is reflective of having done so..
Interest of science or love of a specific area of education is no longer enough to do the right thing in high school alone which is were it must start.

I feel the your
Recommendation #2: Every branch of government needs to participate, Recommendation #3: The program must be sustained, not just over 20-30 years, but forever, Recommendation #4: Resources need to be protected from the critics who would have us turn away from space : Are all right on the mark with regards to this vision.

The secondary goals are equally important to fixing of Nasa, the involving of the nations or world peoples and for the investment by business
into the future of not only our planet but for our own protection.

I've done a point by point friendly rebuttal to Jame's recommendations on Rocketforge.

hmmm... no HTML in comments it seems. Well, here's the URL: http://www.rocketforge.org/modules.php?op=modload&name;=News&file;=article&sid;=248&mode;=flatℴ=0&thold;=0

Michael: I think youth is being misintertped, I believe it is gear at the aging soon to be retiring work force.

I do agree with the need for competition but if you look at agencies of federal government does the FBI compete against the CIA, which is part of the reason for this stagnation. It is also the same reason for why Nasa will always havew budget woo's since it can not raise additional funds by other means as an agency of the federal government.

Nasa developes perpioritory hardware and software as a means to protect our nation when it comes to the military side of things.

You are again correct in that nasa should not be putting commercial launch companies out of business and that instead nasa should be shopping such companies for off the shelf solutions when possible.

My take on employment and education have all ready been posted previously so I won't post on that here.

I do agree with your take on the secondary issues in that they are equally important and need not be forgotten.