We have spent a lot less on NASA than on the "Great Society" programs, and all Americans have benefited from NASA's technology. The money spent on the GS programs has been money thrown down the toilet.
That being said, since the end of the Apollo program, NASA is an agency that does not have a firm charter, and could really use a massive overhaul.
No one was more excited about the early space programs than me. Hell, I'd cut school and stay home to watch the launches - all of them.
But since the early 80s, the shuttle program has provided us with little or no return for our money. It should been shut down 20 years ago.
The "Great Society" should have been shut down 40 years ago.