Recently, amid US government budget shortcomings, the National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a panel to review the research priorities set forth by the 2010 Decadal Review, otherwise known as Astro2010. The NSF AST Portfolio Review reassessed the research priorities and objectives for the US ground-based observatories which carries potentially large implications for the astronomical community if or when the recommendations are upheld. Included in this, was the recommendation to "divest" in resources such as the WIYN and 2.1 meter telescopes atop Kitt Peak. However, a number of facilities were recommended for continued support, most notably ALMA and the VLA. For those interested, the full document is freely available online.
Given that there has been some time for people to read the document, or various blog posts summarizing it, what are you thoughts? Do you feel the budget allocation recommendations were adequate, or were there certain projects recommended for divestment that you were hoping to see remain open? Finally, how does the recommended budget allocations affect your current research or your future research plans, if at all?
