NASA has already [TWICE] thrown that baby out; indeed they had such a snit they forbad the tourist access to 'thier side' of the space station.
Even if we started today, I doubt we could have a functioning base on the Moon in ten years -- but damnit, we should try.
We can have a lunar campsite in five years. We can have a permanent outpost within ten years with a nuclear power source buried in lunar soil. With a nuke propulsion system we could be on Mars within twelve years. These are not my opinions. These are the conclusions of three major aerospace contractors twelve years ago. The estimated costs ranged from about $100B-$120B (1991 dollars) up to and including the first Mars mission.
I hope everyone interested in putting a U.S. flag up on the moon again writes personal checks and sends them to NASA with a memo what it's for. Personally, I can't afford your pipe dreams, I have some debts here on earth to take care of before shoveling more money into the bureaucracy to feel better about the accomplishments of the tribe.
Market has dried up. There has been space tourism for quite a while now, which has done little but give the Russians some pocket money while a few aviation-addled have made some commissions and consultation fees. There just aren't enough millionaires who want to ride, these days. Costs 15M a pop. Although you can fly a mig for a couple ten grand...
The whole focus has been on riding. Why? The probes accomplish much more, bring us much information. The thinking is that the public will not get excited without the rides. That shows a severe lack of imagination. And if NASA does not want to explore, but just wants to be the Master of the Great Ride, I don't want to pay for it. Shut it down, if its mission is no longer science.
NASA (of course) refused. They will never release their death-grip on the U.S. manned space program.