With Doña Ana County all set to hold a special election tomorrow on the spaceport tax measure, spaceport supporters got a mixed message over the weekend from the state legislature: it approved $10 million of the planned $25 million in road improvements for the spaceport. The money, though, is enough to start work on the spaceport provided county voters approve the tax proposal tomorrow. State officials said they will work to get the remaining $15 million in road money next year.
Well, this is the real test, isn’t it? Either the public believes that a spaceport is in their mid to long term interests, or they feel it is a boondoggle. Without any polling data it is impossible to say if you don’t live there, but my guess is that the jobs and tourist dollars brought in will be a decisive factor for most voters.