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2 CommentsSpace Florida docked (for now) $2 million for lobbying "misuse", Orlando Sentinel
"An upset Sen. Mike Fasano on Wednesday announced he wanted to cut the $4 million state appropriation for Space Florida in half after learning that the space economic development agency had spent nearly $300,000 on contract lobbying last year."
Dems: Space Florida a symbol of Gov. Crist's "House of Cards", Orlando Sentinel
Committee slashed Space Florida budget in half, Herald Tribune
"The agency spent nearly $300,000 of its $4 million state allocation last year on lobbyists, including $195,000 to a Pennsylvania firm with ties to Space Florida's president."
Previous:
- Space Florida Is Under Increased Scrutiny (Updated)
- Small Wonder Space Florida Is Having Problems
Editor's Update: Looks like they dodged another bullet.
Space Florida keeps its full $3.8M budget, Orlando Sentinel
"Sen. Mike Fasano backed off his threat to strip Space Florida of nearly half its $3.8million state appropriation Thursday, saying he thought the agency understood his opposition to the nearly $300,000 it spent on lobbyists last year."
They are trying to purchase influence and are just pathetic.
such as it is:
Dear Mr. President:
On many occasions over the past several months we have talked about management and the objectives of the nation's space program. There is no question that there exists in the mind of the public today substantial and disturbing confusion on these points. A difficult condition has been brought about in the main by our basic space law being hastily and, in some of its provisions, wrongly enacted with the result that it became a creature of compromise and a ready instrument for political exploitation. Extensive attention has been given to this subject by the editorial writers and the reporters of the major newspapers and trade magazines of the country, and an increasingly alarming proportion of political speeches are being devoted to this subject. Extensive hearings by Congressional Committees have tended further to add to the confusion, and these hearings doubtless will be resumed in January.
It has not been possible wholly to reassure the public or others regarding the objectives of our national program in space because of the existence of conditions which have tended to support, to a degree, the statements made by critics of the present situation. My own observations and discussions with others lead me to the conclusion that a program of corrective action is both possible and desirable. If you agree with my conclusions after you have heard me out, I can assure you that your leadership in this situation will make more certain a belief on the part of all concerned - the public, the Congress and those engaged in the prosecution of the program - that we have well defined aims and are sensibly organized to move firmly and at reasonable speed toward those goals.