No Tax Breaks for SPS

> --- victoriatangoman
> > > SPS has no existing constituents or even political
> > > spokesmen.
> >
> > Too true! Who do you think the constituents should
> > be?
> >
> This is the problem most inherent to the space
> program. I've been working on a draft letter to my
> congresswoman for the past few days and have been
> thinking alot on these issues. Why should a
> congressman lend support to a program which does not
> directly benefit their constituents in the near
> political future.

You wouldn't be lucky enough to have Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 8th
District as your Representative would you?

You could do worse than having the Democratic leader of the House be
an advocate.

I'd spin it as being an aerospace program. That's a big economic
sector that needs help right about now. Energy self-sufficiency has
got to be a plus considering US reliance on foreign sources. Find a
way to bring Bechtel on board. Eventually diminishing the Middle
Eastern influence in US politics. Being a world leader in a new
technology that has a high barrier to entry. This could positively
contribute to US trade balances. There would also be spin-off
technologies that would further develop US technological leadership.
This would give NASA a purpose. Lastly, clean energy is a crowd
pleaser.

> So far, the only way I can see this becoming an issue
> is to have it make its way onto a party's platform.
> While the major parties in the US are split on energy,
> I do not think the democrats have the balls for
> something as bold as SPS when it would alienate their
> large support of unions working for energy companies.

Aerospace unions have clout as well. Think of the spin offs.
Desaliination plants fed by bountiful electricity. They need
workers. Where do you find water in need of desalination. The
Pacific. You could pipe that water all over the Southwest. That
could be a huge industry for California. Think of all that salt, too!

> Republicans are definitely not going to go for it as
> they have a large energy lobby behind them (look at
> Cheney's energy task force).

Yeah, and they're pushing the Hydrogen economy, based on extracting
the hydrogen from natural gas.

>
> This leaves us with the minor parties, currently the
> largest being the reform and green party. I think the
> green's would go for as one of the cornerstones of
> their party is renewable energy. However, I am a bit
> worried about the green party image and associating
> SPS too tightly with it. Alot of people I talk with
> just see the green party as a newly refaced socialist
> party (indeed many of their leaders have roots there).
> This has some negative connotations to be sure.

I wouldn't go there.

TangoMan