Just to stir the pot a bit, I'll point out that many of the technological advances that we have had in the last 50 years or so have come from the space industry (for lack of a better term). That said, I don't think now is the right time to go to Mars, especially at the expense of other projects, such as the Hubble and the weather satellite that NASA recently decomissioned. Also, if you're going to make a proclamation like this, make sure it gets funded properly...

I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!