Spaceport Chief Seeks Help to Keep Industry in California

[Chris Bergin]

Spaceport Chief Seeks Help to Keep Industry in California



PALO ALTO, California (February 27, 2012)   The man who manages the nation’s first commercial spaceport called on state lawmakers Monday to help him keep the emerging commercial space industry in California.

Stuart Witt, CEO of the East Kern Airport District, which manages the Mojave Air and Space Port, said immediate action is needed to battle efforts by governors in several states to lure the new industry to their states.

Speaking at the NextGen Suborbital Research Conference in Palo Alto on Monday, Witt warned that "Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, and other states, with the support of their Governors, legislators and business communities, are visiting aerospace businesses at the Mojave Air and Space Port in an effort to recruit them and their highly-skilled jobs to their states."

“These states are serious about stealing jobs, revenue, and businesses from California while our state does nothing to stop them,” Witt added. “Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who successfully lured Virgin Galactic to headquarter at his state's spaceport, told me on several occasions that  'Your state makes my job easy!'"

"California, we have a problem," Witt said. "“We are first in flight test, but we are in last place on the list of business-friendly states. Many of the young, innovative companies in this growing industry of commercial space launch are based in California, especially at Mojave Air & Space Port in Kern County. We want to keep them."

"To do that, California must compete."

"In Mojave, we have a thriving community of aerospace and high-technology companies attracted only by our local incentives, wide open spaces, and pioneer spirit," Witt said. "Today we call on our State representatives and Governor Brown to take one small step to encourage our growing commercial space industry to keep innovating and doing business in California."

The former Navy Top Gun pilot said California lawmakers need to enact legislation to support the emerging commercial space industry

Witt said California should match incentives available in competing states, including:

Legislation to limit liability as this new industry develops, "Zero G  Zero Tax" zones to provide tax incentives for investing in companies involved in space-related activities, tax credits for aerospace job creation, cash incentives, taxpayer-financed infrastructure, and loans to attract and retain this industry.

"Florida, Texas and Virginia have already enacted legislation to encourage the booming business that got its start at Mojave; Colorado and New Mexico will soon follow," Witt told the meeting of space industry leaders.

“We need a state commitment to attract aerospace to California rather than letting it continue to erode as it has for the last 30 years," he said.

 #####



Contact:

[email protected]
(661) 824-2433

Stuart O. Witt, CEO
Mojave Air & Space Port
1434 Flightline
Mojave, California 93501

[catdlr]

CEO Newsletter January 2013

Published on Jan 4, 2013
by: MojaveAirSpace
CEO Stuart Witt talks about accomplishments during 2012 and expectations for 2013 at Mojave Air & Space Port.

http://mojaveairport.com/2013/01/04/ceo-newsletter-january-2013

[kq6ea]

California is absolutely the WORST state in the U.S. to do business in.

I seriously doubt they'll attract any new, capital intensive, "long payoff time" industries.

Companies are leaving California every day.

[JohnFornaro]

They could lower their tax rate a notch or two.

[Lar]

They could lower their tax rate a notch or two.

That's gonna happen...

[kq6ea]

They could lower their tax rate a notch or two.

Besides the extremely high taxes, California has tougher environmental regulations than the rest of the country, NOT good for industries that use solvents, adhesives, paints, and other "exotic" chemicals.

[Khadgars]

California is absolutely the WORST state in the U.S. to do business in.

I seriously doubt they'll attract any new, capital intensive, "long payoff time" industries.

Companies are leaving California every day.

Highly over exaggerated.

[kq6ea]

California is absolutely the WORST state in the U.S. to do business in.

I seriously doubt they'll attract any new, capital intensive, "long payoff time" industries.

Companies are leaving California every day.

Highly over exaggerated.

I've lived out here and worked in Aerospace since 1980. I've seen companies fold up and blow away again and again.

Just google "businesses leaving california" and you'll find many examples.

[RanulfC]

California is absolutely the WORST state in the U.S. to do business in.

I seriously doubt they'll attract any new, capital intensive, "long payoff time" industries.

Companies are leaving California every day.

Highly over exaggerated.

I've lived out here and worked in Aerospace since 1980. I've seen companies fold up and blow away again and again.

Just google "businesses leaving california" and you'll find many examples.

I'm FROM there, (but I got better ) so I can safetly say it's NOT "just" taxes and the biggest reason is more to do with finding and being able to competivily pay competent and skilled workers that is the main issue. It pretty much has been a growing trend that the companies that operate in California simply can't afford to pay worker to LIVE in California and thats got more to do with housing and cost of living than taxes.

Up until recently (last few years) there was a growing segment of high-end pay workers in California that regularly commuted (by air) to other states where they actually "lived". They would spend the week in California at rented apartments "near" their job sites and then come "home" on the weekend to spend time with their families. On average they would have multiple people per apartment and they would pay apartment rent that equaled or exceeded their HOUSE payments in another state!

There are multiple reasons that California is having problems retaining business, but on the other hand they are also having a boom in start-ups in both high and low tech fields due to the various incentive programs available.

In terms of Mojave itself it has the problem of being "the" destination spot for "new-space" companies and it has grown quite a bit in the last few years. Coupled with a faltering economy and other factors have left it in less of a stable position than it had. I can fully understand them going to the state government to seek aid/relief but I highly doubt they have the "clout" to pull that kind of support considering the circumstances.

Randy