Brownsville Herald
By Juan Montoya
Once again local media and spokesmen for the Brownsville Economic Development Corporation are fudging their facts in the ongoing attempt to convince the local rubes that we will be launching astronauts from Boca Chica Beach.
And Musk, a snake oil salesman of the first caliber stringing along Brownsville in a bidding war with sites in Puerto Rico and Florida, made no bones about it. He told media representatives that "he was to meet with Gov. Rick Perry to discuss incentives and other issues."
He also said that other launch sites under consideration — in Florida and Puerto Rico — had made stronger cases than Texas, "but that may be changing."
After the meeting, Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said the meeting went well. Perry and Musk discussed Texas’ interest in the project and commitment to working with SpaceX to find a good location for the spaceport in the state.
"Locating this new facility in Texas would be a natural fit," Nashed said in a statement.
Below is the definition of a "spaceport."
A spaceport, astrodrome or cosmodrome (Russian: космодром) is a site for launching (or receiving) spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more socosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories.
He also said that other launch sites under consideration — in Florida and Puerto Rico — had made stronger cases than Texas, "but that may be changing."After the meeting, Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said the meeting went well. Perry and Musk discussed Texas’ interest in the project and commitment to working with SpaceX to find a good location for the spaceport in the state.
"Locating this new facility in Texas would be a natural fit," Nashed said in a statement.
Below is the definition of a "spaceport."
A spaceport, astrodrome or cosmodrome (Russian: космодром) is a site for launching (or receiving) spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more socosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories.
That is not what Musk is proposing for Boca Chica and what the Federal Aviation Administration is gathering an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on. In fact, there are already several spaceports in existence today.
The plan for Boca Chica is for a rocket launch site:
A rocket launch site is the term used for any facility from which rockets are launched. It may contain one or more launch pads or suitable sites to mount a transportable launch pad. It is surrounded with large safety area named rocket range or missile range. The range includes the area over which launched rockets are expected to fly, and within which some components of the rockets may land. Tracking stations, vessels, and aircraft are often located in the range to assess the progress of the launches.
Have we got that straight? And by the way, the Dragon craft that visited the International Space Station featured on the front pages of Texas newspapers (and to the right) will not take off from Boca Chica. Neither will manned spacecraft (just now in the design stage) be launched from the Highway 4 launch pad even if the proposal clears the environmental hurdles before it.
Gilbert Salinas, the BEDC's executive vice president, said that he was ready to give up the farm if Musk comes calling.
"We believe that Brownsville and the governor's office will provide a competitive package for the project," he said.
Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez also chimed in with the chorus of official approval an said "infrastructure" issues would have to be addressed if SpaceX gives Brownsville the nod.
Now, if there is already electricity out there (Koepernick Shores already has it), specifically what infrastructure is needed? Water perhaps? And how many millions would running a four-inch PVC line entail and who would pay for it?
Remember the Playa del Rio Resort plan that was tossed around a few decades ago where developers wanted to run out water to Boca Chica? Apart from the environmental impact considerations, the availability of water was the main hangup. In fact, a water plant was actually built there to facilitate the development. You can still see the old concrete tank remnants along the side of the Rio Grande. In fact, someone actually ran a 2-inch water line some 20 miles out there on the sly, but even that didn't work and the dream fizzled.
Still, the prospect of 600 jobs with a beginning salary of $55,000 each is making economic developers and real estate salesmen's mouths water.
In some interviews, that number has been whittled down to 400. In others, a different number is quoted.
Salinas, Jason Hilts, and SpaceX, in case you're reading. Please provide the ignorant among us with a complete list of the 600 job descriptions and the respective salaries of each. The numbers roll off the tongue a mite too easily for some of our liking. Unless you can do that, we have learned better over time not to take you at your word. The "incentive" package is waiting.
9 comments:
Maybe we are "rubes" here in but that doesn't mean we can't accept progress. It doesn't mean that we should be afraid of "outsiders" and outside projects. We have too many people like you, Juan, who would like to keep the area an isolated "maragaritaville". Are you afraid that outsiders will destroy the culture of corruption that is in place; that outside money will threaten those with money here? We should explore change, explore progress, and create jobs for our youngsters. Maybe some outside competition would force BISD and UTB to "educate" rather than just "graduate" students.
I see you pulled the Luis Saenz ad and replaced it with Masso. Any reason why you are not supporting Saenz anymore?
I want to be the SpaceX janitor. I can use the $55,000. Or I'll take the gardener’s job or I'll be the guy at the gate. It's all the same to me. I just want the $55,000 minimum salary. Or maybe that means $55,000 for SpaceX employees and minimum wage for employees of the contractors that they hire for security, janitorial services, landscape services and so forth. I bet that while these guys are not included in the $55,000 minimum pay they are counted in what will later be clarified as SpaceX “generated" employment.
Mescalero
Infrastructure should include public safety and manning of the necessary emergency services.
I am a local and also one of your loyal readers. I do not appreciate being referred to as a rube.
Minimum for 'qualified' persons. Mascelero is right on. As far as corruption, all we need are honorable law enforcement officers to uphold the law. The Feds are here to protect our beloved, isolation, in 'margaritaville'. We love our way of life. Those who don't should move. Progress? That's what we thought with the likes of Tmobile, Titan, and the UT system. After they had taken everthing that they could, they elected to separate from the city. Some would say, and they would have you believe that it is our loss. We have made out just fine without Titan, Panasonic, and the like. We will be just fine without UT, Tmobile, spacex, and their like as well.
EDUCATION RATHER THAN GRADUATION!
Jobs are jobs and I've got your job right here.
I am a local resident, but not a rube. I do not want SpaceX down at Boca Chica, but the process is not as corrupt and stilted as you suggest. It is in fact pretty straightforward.
I am not against progress, but I am against doing significant harm to one of the last wild and natural areas in Cameron County. I don't call that progress.
Pinche SpaceX go home!
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