VANDENBERG'S 'SPACEPORT OF THE FUTURE': TAXPAYER CASH TO THE MOON!

Vandenberg Space Force Base, a local jewel of national defense, recently hosted its 'Spaceport of the Future Industry Day,' an event that sounds less like a strategic planning session and more like a brainstorming meeting for how many zeros can be added to next year's budget request. The Santa Maria Times breathlessly reported on this gathering of 'government, military and industry leaders,' which is code for a room full of folks who stand to benefit handsomely from new contracts and expanded infrastructure, all paid for by you, the ever-patient taxpayer. While the rhetoric is all about 'higher capacity' and 'future needs,' the underlying hum is clearly the familiar tune of federal dollars flowing into local pockets, with a few new launch pads thrown in for good measure.

One has to wonder if the 'future' they're envisioning involves a dedicated shuttle service for local supervisors to D.C., pleading for ever more generous handouts. We're told this transformation will make the West Coast launch range capable of supporting 'future' demands – presumably, future demands for expensive consultants and elaborate feasibility studies. It’s a classic move: wrap up big spending in patriotic bunting and the promise of technological advancement, and suddenly no one asks too many questions about the cost or the actual return on investment.

Meanwhile, while the 'Spaceport of the Future' gets its glossy brochures, perhaps some of that visionary thinking could be applied to, say, fixing our crumbling local roads or ensuring our public services actually, you know, serve the public. But that's far less glamorous than picturing rockets blasting off, presumably carrying payloads of taxpayer dollars straight into the stratosphere of federal spending. It seems the only thing really taking off at these events is the audacity of the requests for more of our hard-earned cash.