Friday, June 9, 2017

SPACEX: FOUR YEARS LATE, $35 MILLION IN SUBSIDIES SHORT


By Juan Montoya
Someone asked Elon Musk – the billionaire owner of SpaceX – what he saw when he looked out at the water off Boca Chica Beach.
"The future," Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez said that Musk had answered.
But Martinez didn't hear the rest of what Musk said that day.
"The future...$35 million in public subsidies," Musk finished.

And so we remain suspended in space as we breathlessly await the coming of the SpaceX launch station, heralded as the first commercial vertical launch facility in the United States. 
But meanwhile, we are pegging the lengthening of the city airport runways for SpaceX, the construction by Cameron County of an amphitheater at Isla Blanca Park so they can see the satellite launches, the courses at UTRGV-TSC to start training aerospace engineers, and the support of the Brownsville Independent School District with a space-based curriculum to start educating the future astronauts who will take off from Boca Chica Beach for Mars and beyond as the huckster billionaire promised.

But it may be wishing upon a star. Remember when Martinez, Rene Oliveira and Eddie Lucio jumped aboard the Musk-SpaceX bandwagon and heralded its coming as the next best thing to rapture? The Brownsville Economic Development Council fell over itself telling us about the 600 well-paying jobs it would bring to Brownsville. Even McAllen and Harlingen chipped in on the rocket man's dream.

And what have we gotten after all that? This is the timetable that Musk promised when he brought his show to town. Not 600, not 500, not even 400 jobs, but 250 (part time) jobs after the shooting got going. This is what he told the U.S. government he was going to bring.

Table 2.1-2. Personnel for Proposed SpaceX Texas Launch Site Operations
Year Full-time SpaceX Full-time SpaceX Employees/Contractors Employees/Contractors plus
Working On-Site Additional Local/Transient Workers
during Launch Campaigns

Year                                Full time                               Local/Transient
2013                                      30                                           130
2014                                      75                                           175
2015                                      100                                         200
2016                                      100                                         200
2017                                      110                                         210
2018                                      130                                         230
2019                                      150                                         250
2020                                      150                                         250
2021                                      150                                         250
2022                                      150                                         250

Well, it's 2017 and five years into the "plan" already and the only thing out at Boca Chica are mounds of dirt. There are no jobs. There are no rocket launches. Maybe if we give it a couple more years something will happen.

Right.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

El mayor con su pinche cara de pedejete! He got played AGAIN.

Anonymous said...

Has anything that Tony Martinez promised, come true???? Nothing but lots of hike and bike trails and there is no money there. Tony Martinez has contributed nothing to this city; just empty promises and no transparency...lots of secrets.

Anonymous said...

What do you mean there's no money in hike and bike trails? Remember la chisquiada de Gowen said people who come to Brownsville for its trails have 5...no 6...no 10 degrees and spend thousands!

Anonymous said...

puro chile

BobbyWC said...

I think it is dead. I along with other news media have asked their PR person for an update. They responded to no one. I think SpaceX now having been given access to Nasa Launch pad 39a, which includes updating the unused launch pad for its commercial business means it is a no go for Brownsville. As I have documented, since 2003 every promise to expand the runway failed. it is common knowledge to everyone who follows this that the Airport is desperately seekings funds everywhere to meet its goals. No runway no spaceX. Also NASA is already equipt to receive their rockets in cargo planes which cannot land in Brownsville. We were screwed again because an incompetant city commmission bought every lie. The airport director needs to be called in for review, and if he cannot confirm he has the money for the runway and it will meet with Space X needs he should be fired forthwith. City counsel needs to write Space X and demand an update and if they still intend to use Boca Chica Beach.

Bobby WC

Anonymous said...

Es so-called mayor es el mas pendejo que ha tenido Brownsville, y crea que toda la gente lo quiere. Nomas sus amigos a quien les ha ayudado y le lamben
por favores. El y Trump son una bola de billionarios que no saben comer
tortillas y frijoles nomas las pinches comidas que venden en Tia Lola's.
Que verguenza para nuestro pueblo cuando el vato no se quita en mismo pantalon
blue jean apestoso a pedos - porque el es puro pedo.

Anonymous said...

The Mayor is a looser and will go down in BROWNSVILLE as the worst mayor in its 170 year history and not just because of space x.

Anonymous said...

This administration is a total disaster, buenos para nada. Pure rata de dos patas por dondequiera.

Anonymous said...

U. S. Congressman Vela could go "all in" and get more involved in SpaceX future at Boca Chica.

Anonymous said...

Looking at SpaceX's track record for all of their endeavors, 2 things become clear:
1) SpaceX has always been late
2) SpaceX has always delivered what they said, and often more

Anonymous said...

It is a cottage industry to butt fuck Browntown Mexican leadership out of tax money. The ignorant sons-a-bitches will bite on any scam.

Anonymous said...

Musk will eventually own Boca Chica Beach...and all its natural splendor. He did not become a billionaire using his own money.

Anonymous said...

Fucking idiots who voted this loser back into office. He obviously looks like a rat.

rita