Which one doesn't belong?President Obama's plan for NASA - the same plan that was criticized by American hero Neil Armstrong - is going to wreak havoc on the city of Houston, according to the city of Houston:
But, but, but... Obama wants to send us to Mars! And an asteroid! And hope! And change! And, and...From our politicians to our workforce, there's concern over this change in mission for NASA.
The president's plan could bring big changes to the greater Houston area, according to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, and they wouldn't be good ones. They include loss of property and sales tax money, funding of local governments and schools, all because the loss in jobs would be in the thousands.
"A minimum of 4, a maximum of 7, but then you have to throw in the secondary jobs; the person at the nail salon, the person at the bank, the person that sells insurance, flower shop. You gotta add those in and those numbers could reach as high as 12,000 jobs," said Bob Mitchell with the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.
Representative Pete Olson is among those in the Texas congressional delegation who are still worried about this change, saying the president talked a lot about Kennedy Space Center, but not enough about other space centers, like Johnson Space Center.
The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership estimates that JSC has about a $1.2 billion economic impact in our area.
Source: KTRK-TV
While the president works out more details of the plan, there is a risk of losing thousands of capable workers at Johnson Space Center, which would take years to recapture, Parker said.Hmm... Why would Obama relinquish America's leadership in space? Because it fits his template - hell, even Obama science czar John Holdren thinks we shouldn't expect America to be #1 in everything. Why not start with dismantling the space program?
Delegation members did not specify measures that would help Houston’s space center but feared the cancellation of NASA’s moon program would relinquish American leadership in space.
Source: Galveston Daily News
But it goes beyond dismantling America's leadership in space. Obama is attacking Houston - the largest city in Texas. This fits right in with Obama's war on red states. And Texas knows it:
“We still have a long way to go before I feel comfortable with what we're going to do for the American people and Johnson Space Center,” said U.S. Rep. Gene Green, a Houston Democrat. “The Texas delegation is united. Democrat and Republican, we're working together.”
The politicians expressed concern that Obama chose to make his speech in Florida, rather than Texas, and noted that the compromises outlined by the president largely benefit Florida and Colorado, two swing states won by the president in 2008. Texas voted overwhelmingly for Republican John McCain.
Source: Houston Chronicle
Bipartisan opposition to Obama's plans to weaken the United States... A sign of things to come? Hopefully.
