Nuclear Resources: energy solution or apocalypse?

I think when people envision nuclear power, they think of (1) utter disaster and (2) Homer Simpson. We can joke about people like Homer being employed at the plants, but people think about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. There's a terrible fear that in some half-planned attempt to cure the world's insatiable desire for power, we'll kill everyone and nuke the entire planet. We didn't plan for all the outcomes of fossil-fuel generated energy, and now we have global warming. What will happen when we don't plan enough for use of nuclear energy? It's like raising the stakes, isn't it?

I heard a program on NPR in 2007 discussing one of the big caveats to nuclear energy. You must have enough wealth to maintain the plant properly. It seems like any ol' schmo of a country can maintain coal power. What happens if you run low on money? Chernobyl? That's not acceptable risk, is it? Or, could you say that the nuclear plant will generate wealth for the society?

We learned in class that there's a factor of 10-100 million between nuclear and chemical reactions. Our professor says it's safe, too. Well, I'm on board, I just don't think I'll be moving to Glen Rose, TX anytime soon. By the way, the Comanche Plant down there is 1 hr 46 minutes from Irving, TX via Google Maps. Yikes!