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Corporations apparently never stop thinking of new ways to exploit Maine’s wide open spaces. On the heels of the rejected NECEC/CMP corridor project comes a bill before the Legislature to develop three space launch sites in Maine.
LD 1923, “An Act To Establish the Maine Space Corporation” is yet another public-private partnership that would manage federal government contracts, issue bonds, receive tax breaks and distribute funds for acquiring land and property for a Maine Space Complex. It plans to develop staging and launch sites for sending satellites and launch vehicles into polar orbit from Brunswick, Limestone and near Jonesport.
LD 1923 is the result of work by the Maine Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funde organization that promotes aerospace industry interests.
I think all space programs are military in nature, whether they admit it or not. Space launch sites previously constructed in pristine parts of Alaska and New Zealand were sold to locals as civilian sites to generate jobs (sound familiar?) but quickly converted to military use by for-profit corporate interests.
People know what public-private partnerships do, right? They privatize the profits derived from publicly funded research and development.
Maine does not need rocket launch sites to pollute our air, water and soil in order to make wealthy people even wealthier. People should call or write their legislators today and tell them they oppose LD 1923.
Lisa Savage
Solon