Former Apollo astronaut and U.S. Senator Harrison “Jack†Schmitt is poised to take a lead role in the administration of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. He is one of several astronauts providing advice to the new administration about the future of Spaceport America. And in a highly controversial move, the governor has nominated the conservative global warming skeptic to serve as secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Schmitt has been providing input to Gov. Martinez’s Spaceport Review Team, which is reviewing the project’s status, financing and future. The review team, which includes leaders from the business and space communities, is receiving advice from a number of astronauts, including space shuttle commander Sid Gutierrez.
Although the Apollo 17 moon walker is well-known as a global warming skeptic and for his advocacy for mining lunar resources, it is not clear what his expertise is concerning space tourism and spaceport operations. After resigning from NASA, Schmitt served for one term in the U.S. Senate and then become an adjunct professor of engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My colleague Charles Lurio says that Schmitt has been an opponent of Spaceport America in the past. However, he was one of the 600 guests who attended the facility’s runway dedication in October.
[Editor's Note: A reader has pointed out that Schmitt is on the Board of Directors for Orbital Sciences Corporation, a rocket builder that has proposed building a lifting-body spacecraft to carry astronauts into orbit for NASA's CCDev program.]
Gov. Martinez has called for an audit of spending on Spaceport America, which is under construction in the desert near Truth or Consequences. She says that she wants to ensure that officials are wisely spending money on the $210 million state-funded project, and that the facility can stand on its own financially in the future without major state support. The project was begun by Martinez’s Democratic predecessor, Bill Richardson.
What the audit might uncover is an interesting question. The new administration has made no charges of wrongdoing concerning Spaceport America. However, Gov. Richardson’s administration was dogged by corruption charges, including a federal investigation — later dropped — of the governor for alleged “pay-to-play” schemes to steer contracts to political supporters and insiders. (The case caused the governor to withdraw his name for consideration to serve as Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration.) Various Richardson Administration officials and associates have come up on charges in a state that is viewed by critics as being riddled with corruption.
Martinez made cleaning up Sante Fe a key promise of her campaign. She began to follow through on her pledge on her first day:
Within minutes of taking the oath of office, Gov. Susana Martinez signed executive orders early Saturday to enhance public access to state records and remove potential roadblocks for federal investigators.
State agencies will not be allowed to deny public record requests by citing “executive privilege,” or keep correspondence between a state executive and other officials secret when discussing possible public policy, except when explicitly approved by Martinez.
State agencies have been ordered by the new governor to comply with any requests from investigators for federal agencies, even when those agencies do not have a subpoena.
Although Martinez did not cite the administration of her predecessor, Democrat Bill Richardson, her orders deal with issues that arose in connection with media requests and federal pay-to-play investigations during the Richardson administration.
Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell, when sent a copy of Homan’s comments, said the governor’s Spaceport Review Team consists of business and space professionals and received input from several former astronauts, including Harrison “Jack” Schmitt and space shuttle commander Sid Gutierrez.
“The governor believes astronauts have more insight into space travel than Bill Richardson’s deputy campaign manager,” Darnell said.
Gov. Martinez has not named a successor to Homans, nor has she informed the NMSA board members about whether she will reappoint any of them. The new administration is forming a search committee to fill the executive director position that will include former Gov. Garrey Carruthers, Albuquerque businessman Sherman McCorkle, and Las Cruces businessman Tom Hutchinson. In the meantime, administration officials say the project will continue on.
Angela Heisel, spokesman for Economic Development secretary nominee Jon Barela, who will chair the Spaceport Authority, told the Albuquerque Journal, “The plans are to continue with the development and construction in an orderly fashion, with no plans of shutting down. … Despite Homans’ claims, he is not indispensable to this project. … The entire project remains intact.”
An even more controversial — and from the state’s point of view, vital — decision is Gov. Martinez’s controversial nomination of Schmitt to serve as secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. She announced the decision in a press release:
After announcing the nomination, Governor Martinez stated, “Senator Schmitt’s diverse background gives him a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be helpful in guiding the responsible development and protection of New Mexico’s diverse natural resources. Harnessing and developing energy sources right here in New Mexico is critical to reviving our economy and creating jobs.â€
After receiving his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1964, Schmitt earned his Air Force jet pilot wings in 1965 and Navy helicopter pilot wings in 1967. He was selected for NASA’s Scientist- Astronaut program in 1965. He served as Mission Scientist in support of the Apollo 11 mission and flew in space as part of the Apollo 17 mission. Schmitt landed on the Moon on December 11, 1972.
After his career at NASA, Schmitt was elected to the United States Senate in 1976 and served in office for six years as a member of the Commerce, Banking, Appropriations, Intelligence, and Ethics Committees. Sen. Schmitt received his B.A. from Caltech and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his public service and work as a scientist.
In response to his nomination, Sen. Schmitt said, “I am proud to continue my career of public service as secretary of the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department under Governor Martinez. I look forward to working with the Governor to enhance New Mexico’s potential to be a leader in energy and natural resource development.”
The position involves both encouraging the development of New Mexico’s natural resources and safeguarding them. A dismayed Democratic Party of New Mexico believes Schmitt will spend more time on the former:
In a clear sign that polluters in New Mexico will have free reign under her administration, Gov. Susana Martinez today nominated global warming denier and former astronaut Harrison “Jack” Schmitt to head the state’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.
On many occasions, Schmitt has scoffed at decades of sound scientific evidence and a mountain of research that validated the human causes of global climate change.
In one instance he told Fox News that the “CO2 scare is a red herring”, that the “global warming scare is being used as a political tool to increase government control over American lives, incomes and decision-making.”
“Martinez promised bold change and she’s bringing it in the form of an appointee at odds with the basic tenets of science and reason,†said DPNM Executive Director Scott Forrester. “This appointment is a clear signal to Martinez’s big-oil backers that the days of basic protections for New Mexicans’ air and drinking water are over.â€
Martinez also recently fired the entire Environmental Improvement Board, paving the way for industrial polluters to have their way with New Mexico’s precious natural resources.
“Martinez has never said one word about how important it is to have clean air and water in our beautiful state and instead has spent her short time in office ripping down basic environmental protections for our citizens,†Forrester said. “These moves are either straight payback for her contributors or a blatant disregard for the importance of clean air and water – not only for the lives of New Mexicans, but for future economic development.â€
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He’s right; environmentalists try to borrow credibility from climate science to push for expanded government regulation. Science is a method, not an ethical framework: it can’t tell us what we should do (you can’t get an ought from an is). Schmitt has plenty of good company in his policy skepticism:
Comment on Climate Feedbacks by Harold H. Doiron
While Gov.Martinez’s efforts to add transparency to government is laudable – if it is genuine – all her other actions are in the opposite direction. The forced firing of Homans violated New Mexico law, it turns out.
As to this comment from her Administration: ““The governor believes astronauts have more insight into space travel than Bill Richardson’s deputy campaign manager,†I beg to differ. I’ve been in NASA 36 years – 9 as a senior executive – and one of the truisms of political maneuvering is that one cherry picks the astronauts from which to get their ‘expertise’. And in terms of commercial space development in New Mexico, I’m wondering whether they are listening to the right ones.
Add to that her fishing expedition hoping to get dirt on the space development efforts in New Mexico – when there hasn’t been even the hint of wrong-doing – and something doesn’t seem cricket.
New Mexico is, incredibly, one of the leading states in the nation in terms of developing a new commercial space industry. Homans was the sparkplug behind it. It seems the new governor may be trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of space economic victory.
If Governor Martinez thinks that somehow a spaceport “can stand on its own financially in the future without major state support” she needs to take another look at the historical relationship between Sunport and the City of Albuquerque, possibly starting at http://www.cabq.gov/investor/pdf/ALBQ-AIRPORT-OS-021108.pdf. If she is not willing to provide ONGOING support ($138 million in total outstanding airport revenue bonds for Sunport as of December 2010, per Fitch Ratings) beyond “without major state support”, then I’m sure someone else will be more than happy to take the jobs, industries, tax base, and prosperity associated with a civil spaceport serving a major portion of North America.
The SpacePort has attracted crowds of pyramid schemers. The pyramid schemers hope to attract new recruits in their schemes. Guess what, it’s a recession, there are no new recruits. But do they give up, no…they convince our executive branch to exceed their authority and pass laws to enforce their pyramid schemes.
Even worse, the pyramid schemers convince our executive branch to help fund their schemes. Hence NM lost millions in the Madoff Ponzi. What are executive branch public officials doing chasing that Pie in the Sky promise of great interest rates? The state is a conservator of the public funds!!!
Same issue with the $pacePork, please stop risking our public funds!!!
The Citizens of Truth or Consequences started complaining about the corruption in September of 2009:
–The illegal mining in the middle of the city in an area not zoned for mining,
–Trucks spewing exhaust in violation of EPA standards,
–Same trucks driving through the Historic Downtown,
–A 32% increase in deaths due to cancers caused by diesel pollution,
–The General Manager of Construction didn’t want your business card, he wanted your credit card,
–The monster truck traffic, dust and toxic fumes drove away shoppers and health enthusiasts,
–A deputy beat up a shopper and jailed her for 3 days without access to a lawyer for crossing in front of a truck, even though no truck was near;
–The State Land Office sold 12 miles to a Pie in the Sky schemer for $115 per acre based upon a promise of a NASCAR racino. There’s a glut of racetracks and a glut of casinos, and NASCAR was never interested. The land purchase money came from a now-bankrupt compulsive gambler in Florida.
–The false promise of water avaliability was created by our ex-City Manager, now under trial in Texas. He lied about the hydrology survey. There isn’t even 1/30th of the water needed. But the public officials failed to vet his lies by simply LOOKING at the evidence, the well tests of July 2008. Instead they swapped land, and patted each other on the back in press releases.
–The pyramid schemer who has the land patent #4350 annexed to Truth or Consequences. He plans to build 5200 acres of houses. Truth or Consequences has the highest housing glut in New Mexico. That’s why we know its a pyramid scheme–it’s predicated on lie after lie, and it markets more ice to the eskimos.
–The pyramid schemer wants the public to fund $34 million of infrastructure. Since the year 2005, he has done nothing but talk. There’s no roads, and no plat, no market, yet he wants $34 million. Basically, he thinks New Mexico is the biggest pushover ever.
The $pacePork is just encouraging ponzi schemers. It is itself predicated on the false promise of tax revenues. It cannot bring a sufficient market to New Mexico to support the investment. Even in the best case scenario, universities (UNM and USC) and Barclays Bank have already predicted the basic rule of thumb that it will cost 65% more than it will ever generate in tax revenues.