I agree with you, Alex.
The on again, off again stance for PKE hasn't helped either. We didn't have nuclear propulsion for Voyagers or the Pioneer missions. As I said at the Flame board, I'm glad those that were in charge of those missions then, didn't wait (for nuclear propulsion because we would not have gone anywere in our lifetimes).
It will take a decade for nuclear propulsion to be 'readily available' for space missions. If and when they send a test mission up and it works out to everyone's great expectations, then of course it would be wonderful, but it would be equally wonderful if we could be receiving data from PKE at around the same time.
Anyways, just my two pennies.
Marcia