The California Coastal Fee on Thursday rejected the Air Pressure’s plan to present SpaceX permission to launch as much as 50 rockets a yr from Vandenberg Air Pressure Base in Santa Barbara County.
“Elon Musk is hopping concerning the nation, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA whereas claiming his need to assist the hurricane victims with free Starlink entry to the web,” Commissioner Gretchen Newsom stated on the assembly in San Diego.
The company’s commissioners, appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, voted 6-4 to reject the Air Pressure’s plan over issues that each one SpaceX launches can be thought of army exercise, shielding the corporate from having to amass its personal permits, even when army payloads aren’t being carried.
That is from Alex Nieves, “California officers cite Elon Musk’s politics in rejecting SpaceX launches,” Politico, October 10, 2024.
I feel the general public alternative mannequin of the habits of presidency officers offers insights. One perception is that the officers will comply with their very own pursuits and that these are sometimes unrelated to the extra common pursuits of the inhabitants. Politicians, anticipating this criticism, not primarily from economists however primarily from on a regular basis residents, typically attempt to gown up their actions within the language of public curiosity or frequent good.
However each on occasion, the masks slips. Gretchen Newsom simply let the masks slip. Discover her assertion, which is her listing of her grievances towards Elon Musk. Ask your self if there’s any connection between these three grievances and whether or not it will be a good suggestion to let Musk launch rockets from Vandenberg.