(UPDATED) Pigs in Space: Utah and Alabama Repubs Lobbying for Space Pork
And what are they demanding of these “commercial” companies? That they make their own dollar-for-dollar investment in the systems to match government funds. In fact, at least one of them has essentially done this, though there was no requirement for it. But why are they demanding this? When NASA hands tens of billions to one of their standard contractors for its labor to build their own launch systems, they make no such demand. Why, when the amounts of money are much less (a few billions for multiple providers), do they suddenly become so parsimonious with the taxpayers’ money? Could it just be an excuse?
And what do they mean when they say that there will be “no return to the Treasury from their profits”? What are they expecting? Does the Senate bill exclude these “commercial” companies from corporate income tax? I’ve looked through it, and I can find no such provision.
Let me explain to them what is really happening here, and why “commercial” is a red herring.
We have invested a hundred billion dollars in a space station, with commitments to international partners that we will continue to participate in it through at least the next five years, and probably longer if the new plans hold, which includes getting our astronauts to and from it, and ensuring that there is a lifeboat available for crew at all times. We have been purchasing the latter from the Russians for years, since it became permanently inhabited, and we will have to start purchasing rides from them as well starting next year, when the Shuttle is retired (as planned by the Bush administration six years ago). NASA’s planned vehicle to solve this problem wasn’t going to be ready for at least seven years, even if properly funded, and neither the past budgets or the new proposed ones properly fund it. And even if it could, it was going to cost tens of billions of dollars for a program with many technical issues, and one that would have been horrifically expensive to operate even if successful.
In contrast, the “commercial” providers — Boeing, the United Launch Alliance (which has been successfully delivering billion-dollar satellites for years), Space Exploration Technologies, and others — could eliminate our need for Russian services within five years.
The issue isn’t whether it is “commercial” or not. It’s the nature of the contract: a traditional cost-plus contract in which the contractor is reimbursed for time and material regardless of success versus a fixed-price contract with milestones. The incentives to increase costs to the taxpayer with the former are obvious, and explain the out-of-control nature of NASA’s development programs. With fixed price, the contractor is paid for performance rather than reimbursed for costs, and the amount of profit is none of the government’s business, but it spends a lot less money. This has worked successfully in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services contract (note the lack of scare quotes around “commercial”) and it is the model that would be used for commercial crew as well.
A true conservative would be applauding such an approach as both being more effective and more tight-fisted with the taxpayers’ money. And I’ll bet in other circumstances, Representatives Chaffetz, Bishop, Aderholt, and Griffith would be cheering it, and not attempting to make such nonsensical arguments to defend a big-government status quo (and to attempt to get people to vote for their own version of a NASA authorization bill on Wednesday, rather than the Senate version, which is the only one that has any hope of being passed).
So why are they not cheering it? Could it be because they represent Utah and Alabama?
Nah. That’s probably just a coincidence.
Closing Huntsville would put a pretty big hole in Alabama’s economy. NASA should be trimmed and reorganized, but keep the consequences in mind. The last round of base closings in the military should give you a clue.
Of course, things like that are one of the reasons you won’t see any real change once the Republicans take back Congress. You won’t see the lobbying stop. K Street and J street won’t be closed down. You won’t see the earmarks stop. Thus, you won’t see the corruption stop.
Conservatives want their Social Security. Liberals want their welfare. …and Conservatives want military bases all over the planet. Neither side has the will to do what is necessary to save this nation.
Things won’t change until the American people change.
nice try to claim this is pork … this is current government “policy” … it is not an earmark … it will be voted on by the full House and Senate …
How could it be that they represent Utah and Alabama ? thats just crazy talk … representing your constituants position in the House of Represenatives … a “true” Conservative would ignore their states voters …
Jeff: constellation is an incredibly wasteful program that accomplishes absolutely nothing of value in space even if it is 100% successful (which it isn’t). The only thing it does accomplish is to create lots of high-paying jobs in a few states (Alabama, Utah, Florida). That is pretty much the definition of pork.
Warren: what conservative wants social security? Most conservatives I know want to abolish it as soon as possible.
Military bases all over the planet are necessary for defense, which is one of the few things that everybody but hardcore libertarians agrees is a valid function of the federal government. That said, we might be able to save a few overseas military bases if we had really cheap access to space…
The only place that a true conservative serves pork should be on his plate! Beltway pork is a no no; that’s why we are gonna toss the dimocrats. Republican legislators had best take heed, you too can find yourselves among the unemployed!
I don’t know why people keep tooting the horn that Utah is some bastion of republican principle. It isn’t. Republicans are in a majority here and don’t often face stiff electoral competition, which means we get the worst kind of republican: the one that doesn’t have to stand for anything or anyone in order to get elected and stay in office. Bennett was a 3 term career do-nothing and he’s finally been tossed out on his ass. Hatch is going to get the axe next, I hope. Our republicrat representatives (and demopublican representative) are just whores suckling at the teat of government. None of them do anything worthwhile except brag about how much of other people’s money they got to spend.
The Obama Space Devastation Program brought to you by the self proclaimed “Science” President (my ass). I would call an industry that has brought high paying jobs to Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia, and Utah to name a few, as “pork” that has allowed many families to bring home the bacon to the benefit of the country and the economy.
Looks like this “community organizer” is very good at decimating communities, he just has a bigger playground to do it in now.
Lynn: the way NASA does space operations is incredibly inefficient. So you need lots of man-hours per flight and create lots of jobs. So if you want to keep the maximum number of jobs while accomplishing almost nothing in space, the current program is almost perfect.
Besides, an industry that has only one product and one customer is not much of an industry.
Well you should be happy then, sending pork to Russia. I find that most people that accuse NASA of being inefficient are usually totally ignorant of what it takes to send humans into space or unmanned rockets for that matter.
and….finally….for the last time.
NASA contracts with PRIVATE COMPANIES to put manned and unmanned rockets into space. Thousands of private companies benefit from NASA….geez it was how many years ago when a couple of kooks were trying to fly (107 years ago). And look where we are now, pretending that NASA is inefficient.
Someone needs to do a dirty jobs show about space exploration. This industry is not Captain Kirk clean and neat telling neat and clean Scotty to go warp speed. There is much sweat and tears going into each launch of a rocket. Many men and women work hard to get people and payloads safely into orbit. They deserve to make a decent wage for themselves, their families, and the communities.
The Obama Space Devastation Program one small step back for one man, one giant leap backwards for mankind.
Hip Hip Hooray!
This is so ludicrous. I lost my job when the government went from cost plus to fixed price with milestones because my company was top heavy with administrators. I didn’t whine. I went out and got another job. I see no reason why the employees of these companies, if they are competent in the first place, can’t do the same. The same should apply to the companies.
The pols here in Florida are even more in NASA’s pocket, for obvious reasons. Outside the District of Corruption, there’s probably no place more dependent on federal loot than Brevard County, where Cape Canaveral is located. Go to “floridatoday.com”, the local paper, and see the shirt-rending and teeth-gnashing for yourself. Muslims face Mecca when they pray; Brevard residents, regardless of faith, face DC.
NASA has been living off its lunar legacy since 1972. Now it’s just another bloated bureaucracy thrashing around for any excuse to justify its budget. Also, NASA is what has kept the private sector from competing in space — they happily launch satellites at megabuck losses apiece at prices private launchers can’t match, knowing the taxpayers will foot the difference.