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Space Travel For the 1%: Virgin Galactic's $250,000 Tickets Haunt New Mexico Town

Posted by samzenpus on from the new-to-the-neighborhood dept.

The Real Dr John writes: The Guardian has an article about Virgin Galactic's proposed launch site, Spaceport America, which broke ground in southern New Mexico's high desert in 2009 with almost a quarter of a billion dollars from taxpayers, $76m of which came from the two local counties. Truth or Consequences, population 6,000 and home to the Spaceport America Visitor Center, is one of the poorest places in the state. The increased taxes, adopted across impoverished Sierra County, contributed to about $5m as of 2014. Since 2009, state school budgets have been cut and an estimated $26m in necessary repairs to the town's water system has been put on hold. There's no more money to pay for it. The average annual income of residents is just $15,000 per year, one third of residents live below the poverty line, and just 20% over the age of 25 have obtained a bachelor's degree.

3 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Proof that you don't want govt spending your mo by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 3, Interesting
    As it has been since ancient Greece.

    Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it./quote

  2. Virgin Galactic raised taxes? by towermac · · Score: 5, Interesting

    TFA doesn't explain or link as to how VG caused the citizens to vote a tax increase upon themselves. If that was the deal, I would have recommended against it. Especially the part about the schools and water system.

    You know, I bet that wasn't the deal. I bet that closer to the truth, is that the town, county, and state fell all over themselves offering all kinds of crazy shit. Those people gambled, and they lost.

    Sort of like Virgin Galactic lost their ship, momentum, place in the space race, shit tons of cash; and so on. I believe one of their people actually died. All those townspeople lost was their self respect, and maybe some money, that their elected officials spent. I don't think VG has made any sort of profit on this town.

    So to make out like the evil corporation took advantage of the ignorant little podunk town is really stretching the truth here.

  3. Re:Proof that you don't want govt spending your mo by kilfarsnar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We should maybe aspire to something greater than a 3000 year old model?

    Sadly, most people think the big government they keep voting for is there to help them, not to help those who buy the politicians they vote for. With enemies like the left, the 1% don't need friends.

    It's not Left or Right. It's money or no money. The Left/Right paradigm is used to distract from class warfare being waged by the .1%.

    --
    "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)