This guy is not only short-sighted, he's way behind the times. Or does he think that we'll still be using 1970's era tech in the future? The X-Prize was a spectacular demonstration that government beuracracies and saying "It's too hard" can't stand in the way of human imagination and initiative.
That is the problem I have with the anti-human in space crowd. They think all we are going to use is current technology. That is wrong. We are looking for ways to develop new technology to get there faster and safer. Yes it was horrible that 14 people died, but we most go on.. I hate to sound cruel, but accidents do happen.