State Flies Airline Billionaire to Santa Fe

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Sunday, December 18, 2005 | Trip Jennings

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE— Our fleet is not as big as his, but that didn't stop New Mexico from using its new jet to fly billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson here last week for his space tourism pitch.

Branson, known for brash antics such as inscribing aircraft with a "Mine is bigger than yours" slogan, owns several of his own airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Express and Virgin Blue.

But a New Mexico economic development spokeswoman, Katie Roberts, said there will be no taxpayer cost for flying Branson here on the state's $5.5 million Cessna Citation Bravo.

Branson came to New Mexico to join Gov. Bill Richardson in announcing Branson's plan to base the nation's first commercial space tourism operation at the proposed Southwest Regional Spaceport in southern New Mexico.

Richardson said he wants New Mexico to commit $100 million to start building the spaceportin 2007.

New Mexico's Cessna Citation flew to Los Angeles late Tuesday to pick Branson up for an early Wednesday flight to Santa Fe for news conferences there and in Upham, Roberts said.

Branson departed Santa Fe on the Citation early Thursday. There was a stopover at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida before the jet flew on to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, where Branson owns an island, Roberts confirmed.

Most of the cost of the trip— about $13,550 in fuel costs for the Citation— will be borne by Branson's space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, said Roberts.

The New Mexico Economic Development Partnership will pick up roughly $4,500 in the pilots' time, per diem and expenses, Roberts said. The partnership receives some state money to help promote New Mexico, but the $4,500 will come from private fundraising, Roberts said.

[CedarDave]

More publicity for Richardson. But, as the article shows, even the press is questioning use of the state plane such that officals are now providing details and taking pains to say "only" $4,500 of state money was spent on the trip.

Perception is everything, and this does not make Richardson look good.

[Mamzelle]

Big deal about a cheap little jet--Branson probably owns a dozen.

re: Richardson said he wants New Mexico to commit $100 million to start building the spaceportin 2007.)))

eek. Why does this have to be a state-funded venture?

[Mamzelle]

Just out of curiosity, how much fuel does that Citation burn?

[woofie]

Hey ya gotta spend money to make money...

[patton]

No state money was used - read it again.

One of my pet peeves is when folks complain about air force one (slightly off topic). We own the plane, we pay the crew, the crew must fly, who cares what the president uses it for?

In addition, it is a communications node - Bush with AF one in tow is much better than Bush without.

[CedarDave]

More than the turbo-props they got rid of, I'm sure.

[Turbopilot]

Well, the article claims that Branson's company paid for the fuel and a state board covered the rest of the cost through private donations. If this is true (who is it that is donating $4500 to fly a billionaire around in a private jet?) then it's a wash for the taxpayers, and it's better for the airplane to be used than to sit.

What I don't understand is why Branson didn't just charter a jet. It's not like he or his company can't afford it. This way just made the NM government look silly because (at least as per this thread) some people won't read the article carefully and think the state is paying to fly Branson around.

[Pukin Dog]

Do you have any idea how many jobs and how many millions of dollars that Branson will be bringing to New Mexico over the next 10 years?

They should have not only flown him in for free, they should have hired loose women to have sex with him on the flight.

[nevergore]

The jets have a higher burn per hour than the turboprops but cover more ground in that time...the cost per mile is similar but the time savings from the Citation on long fights can be substatial....

[Turbopilot]

So he says, once he hooks the taxpayers for another measly $100M or so to build him a spaceport. While I think commercial spaceflight is inevitable, desirable, and the real future of space travel, I'm not yet convinced that low Earth orbit tourism for the hyper-rich is going to be a significant factor.

Even if everything Branson has promised is true, though, it doesn't justify buzzing him around at state expense (which he wasn't, here). That's just not a legitimate function of a limited government.

[wagglebee]

I think that the most viable future to space exploration is private enterprise which seems to be Branson's aim; that being said, why does the state feel the need to spend $100 million on a space port (and state estimates usually wind WAY LOW), if Branson feels he can make use of a space port he should fund it himself.

[greyfoxx39]

This way just made the NM government look silly

The NM government IS silly....predominantly democrat and as corrupt as possible. State treasurer just had to resign because he was indicted on felony charges regarding kickbacks on millions of state investments. I love NM, but have to just hold my nose at the stench of the dems, from Richardson on down.

[Rockingham]

We are long past the day when this sort of spending was correctly regarded by a decisively large part of the American public as objectionable as a form of socialism and an invitation to corruption. Today, politicians and most of the public see the issue as economic development in competition with other states. The objection most commonly made now is that rich companies and individuals benefit -- a billionaire in this case. Most of the former hard line communist police states that promised cradle to the grave socialism have become corrupt oligarchies, and most of the modern western welfare state democracies that made similar promises have embraced various forms of corruption disguised as "economic development" -- as if governments have any business in picking the winners and losers in a free economy by awarding pork to the prettiest contestants.

[Mamzelle]

re: I'm not yet convinced that low Earth orbit tourism for the hyper-rich is going to be a significant factor. )))

If it's all about the currency of bragging rights--bragging rights lose their currency if there are a lot of braggarts to share them with. It'll jump the shark within a couple of years--this highly uncomfortable enterprise to spend a few seconds a few dozen miles off the surface of the earth.

The prestige of the astronaut depended on two things--the scarcity of the rides and the fact that he didn't have to pay to ride. Those who just pay to ride are going to enjoy a prestige that diminishes quickly.

There are only a few southwestern states who can provide a "spaceport"-- they don't need to pay for the privilege.