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Rocket science or space junk?

To the Editor,

Recently  I read an article indicating the desire to build a Spaceport in the Alberni area. A deja vu sense of dread entered my mind.  The promoter, Al Fakir “plans to pitch the idea to local government bodies... in the coming months.” Shades of smelter past!

Are the taxpayers of the Alberni Valley about to embark on another multi-million-dollar feasibility study, a la the smelter fiasco? That was exactly 10 years ago.

I thought this decade’s boondoggle was going to be our civic leaders’ red carpet invitation to park coal on our waterfront. Now are we about to add a spaceport study to an already stretched Alberni taxpayer?

I am tired of subsidizing  the balderdash dreams of some local politicians. A project of this magnitude should be studied at the federal level and the costs borne by those who stand to make the profits, not the local taxpayer again.

A recent editorial indicated that a Kodiak launch in November “was worth $ 170 million” which “ benefited a private enterprise”. What should be mentioned is that the “private enterprise” is owned largely by the Alaska government. So how can the Alberni spaceport compete with Alaska taxpayers?

Promises by promoters dreaming of riches and over-zealous local politicians spending taxpayers’ money  should be a warning flag.

If the promoters want to bankroll their own studies, I say go for it. But if they want to tap into my pocket again, like the 2001 smelter million-dollar study nonsense, I say don’t play me for stupid twice.

Let’s figure out how to pick up our weekly garbage in this city before our politicians embark on another costly feasibility study.

Unless of course, they have a plan to launch our weekly waste on the next Titan rocket leaving the Alberni Spaceport.

Stephan Bojic,

Port Alberni