Last Monday, I attended a hearing at the Capitol on House Bill 734, the Georgia Space Flight Act. This legislation is being led by representatives from southeastern Georgia, the proposed site of Spaceport Camden. (You can read more about the spaceport at http://spaceportcamden.us/.)
There was a good crowd of citizens there, taking the opportunity to make brief statements pro and con to the committee members. I’ll note that the opposition seemed to be well organized, but in my opinion, were repeating either misinformation or misinterpretations of the proposal.
It appears there may be a second hearing this Thursday, 18 February Tuesday, 23 February; I don’t yet know the time or location. But if you stay tuned to my Twitter feed, I’ll post details as soon as I hear them. If you’re local to Atlanta and can spare the time, it’s always good to show citizen interest in legislation.
If you get there early and sign up, anyone can speak for 3 minutes or so. My 200-word statement from last Monday’s hearing is below.
I’m a fifth-generation Georgian. I’m proud that my granddaughter is a seventh-generation Georgian
We’ve had family members in the railroad business, in the streetcar business, in the automotive business, in the trucking business, and working for Delta in the airline business. Transportation is deep in Georgia’s blood.
Now, it’s time for a new generation of transportation.
Personally, as an individual investor, I’ve been investing in the aerospace business for 16 years. Sixteen years ago, the idea of putting a spaceport in Georgia would have been silly. Now, it makes economic sense.
I’ve visited the site in Camden County. It’s very isolated. It’s one of the very best sites on the East Coast that’s suitable for this type of operation… and arguably better than our neighbors at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
You’ve heard how commercial spaceflight is happening. Camden County can be the East Coast leader in commercial spaceflight. We can attract companies and individuals to Georgia who otherwise would move to Florida or California or Texas. And we can create good jobs at good wages for a part of the state that desperately needs them.
I urge this committee to support HB 734.
