What's the value of science?
We all have our pet scientific projects. And our own ideas on how much money should be spent on them. Over the years there must surely have been several billions of dollars spent on large particle accelerators around the world, as pure science as you can get. There doesn't seem to be much debate about the dollars spent on those. But you do get complaints about the dollars spent on robotic exploration of the planets.
My view: life definitely proven on another world would be THE greatest scientific discovery in the history of humankind. Dollars spent on that discovery would surely be as worthwhile as those spent on, for example, particle accelerators.
BTW, I like both robotic space exploration AND large particle accelerators.
Bob Clark