Is spending funds on Earthquake Prediction a good way to save lives?

My initial reaction is No - Leaded causes of Death Annually in the USA only are:
Number of deaths for leading causes of death

* Heart disease: 616,067
* Cancer: 562,875
* Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 135,952
* Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 127,924
* Accidents (unintentional injuries): 123,706
* Alzheimer's disease: 74,632
* Diabetes: 71,382
* Influenza and Pneumonia: 52,717
* Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 46,448
* Septicemia: 34,828
(source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm)

In the last 46 years, the number of deaths in the United Stares form earthquakes are: 220

Now, some other places have had some devastating deaths - Haiti (223,000) - Japan just last March (15,000 dead, about 10,000 missing)but the Japan damage was mostly due to the Tsunami

And there's the old saying: Earthquakes don't kill people, Buildings Do.

I'd say the answer is more to do with upgrading buildings than trying to predict.. but I know we'd all love to know with certainty when the earth will move beneath our feet.. I certainly would like to know.. it's the uncertainty that scares us. If we could see it coming, there wouldn't' be a problem.

Canie