LEAGUE CITY As the Space Shuttle Atlantis orbited its way for a rendezvous with the International Space Station in what likely will be that orbiters final mission two rallies were held in support of NASAs Johnson Space Center in League City on a recent Friday night. The underlying message of saving local jobs was the same but the ralliers approaches were very much different.
The Galveston County Democratic Party teamed with labor unions for its rally that officials said was focused on positive lobbying in support of the space center.
Members of local tea party groups and Republican activists pledged the only way to support manned space flight was to bounce President Barack Obama and Democrats who hold the congressional majority from office.
While pledging more money for NASA overall the presidents proposed budget includes a major dismantling of the Constellation program that was to have returned man to the moon and set up future missions to Mars. Thousands of jobs in this region are tied to that program and the soon-to-be ended space shuttle program.
Dueling Support
This whole budget cut is politics" Mike Szydlowski of League City said as he held a sign that read NASA-Yes Soyuz-Nyet."
Its unnecessary its not based on science or fact or anything other than taking a shot at (Texas Republican) Gov. Rick Perry."
Salvaging NASAs Constellation program to continue human space exploration isnt a partisan issue Democrats said in their rally.
Congress battled proposed budget cuts to the human space flight program under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Congressman Gene Green D-Houston said.
Fighting for NASA should bring us together not divide us" Green said pointing to the opposing rally just outside the pavilion. Congress needs to save the mission of what NASA means to the country."
County Commissioner Ken Clark who helped organize the Save NASA Stop Obama rally said he was motivated by a guest column in The Daily News by Galveston County Democratic Party Chairman Lloyd Criss who laid some of the blame for the proposed cutting of the Constellation program at Bushs feet.
The Blame Game
I was a little incensed over it because it is time for Obama to man up and take responsibility for his own actions" Clark said. He claims Obamas plan would result in about $983 million a year in economic losses for the region around the Johnson Space Center.
Some Democrats such as former Congressman Nick Lampson whose district included parts of Galveston County as well as the Johnson Space Center said the president made changes to his initial policies because of lobbying from labor unions and pro-NASA Democrats.
Obamas new proposal would restructure Constellation to develop the Orion crew capsule as a standby vehicle to take astronauts to and from the space station. Lampson said he thought more progress could be made.
Republican Pete Olson who did not attend either rally Friday holds that congressional seat now and has been part of a bipartisan delegation of Texas congressional members pushing for changes to the presidents NASA plan.
Contractors Agree: Leave NASA Alone
David Hughes of Deer Park works in maintenance support for Computer Sciences Corp. a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center and is among about 400 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who work for contractors in the Houston area including those who do business at the Johnson Space Center.
Hughes said he fears during the lag between when the shuttle program ends this year and when lawmakers decide what direction to take NASA many skilled workers at Johnson will look for jobs elsewhere.
Leave NASA alone" Hughes said while attending the Democrats rally. People think NASA hasnt made progress but were still the leader in space exploration. We need to maintain that."
For John Paterson who agreed with Hughes about the workers leaving the region NASAs future is more than politics its personal. As a systems test engineer for Lockheed Martin he said he worried the presidents plan would set the American manned space program and engineering as a career back.
In an address to the anti-Obama rally he said he struggled with what to tell young people about what NASA does.
The only way I could accurately describe it is you remember that Christmas when you were promised a bicycle and instead you got a sweater?" he said. Dont let this administration give us the sweater."
LEAGUE CITY As the Space Shuttle Atlantis orbited its way for a rendezvous with the International Space Station in what likely will be that orbiters final mission two rallies were held in support of NASAs Johnson Space Center in League City on a recent Friday night. The underlying message of saving local jobs was the same but the ralliers approaches were very much different.
The Galveston County Democratic Party teamed with labor unions for its rally that officials said was focused on positive lobbying in support of the space center.
Members of local tea party groups and Republican activists pledged the only way to support manned space flight was to bounce President Barack Obama and Democrats who hold the congressional majority from office.
While pledging more money for NASA overall the presidents proposed budget includes a major dismantling of the Constellation program that was to have returned man to the moon and set up future missions to Mars. Thousands of jobs in this region are tied to that program and the soon-to-be ended space shuttle program.
Dueling Support
This whole budget cut is politics" Mike Szydlowski of League City said as he held a sign that read NASA-Yes Soyuz-Nyet."
Its unnecessary its not based on science or fact or anything other than taking a shot at (Texas Republican) Gov. Rick Perry."
Salvaging NASAs Constellation program to continue human space exploration isnt a partisan issue Democrats said in their rally.
Congress battled proposed budget cuts to the human space flight program under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Congressman Gene Green D-Houston said.
Fighting for NASA should bring us together not divide us" Green said pointing to the opposing rally just outside the pavilion. Congress needs to save the mission of what NASA means to the country."
County Commissioner Ken Clark who helped organize the Save NASA Stop Obama rally said he was motivated by a guest column in The Daily News by Galveston County Democratic Party Chairman Lloyd Criss who laid some of the blame for the proposed cutting of the Constellation program at Bushs feet.
The Blame Game
I was a little incensed over it because it is time for Obama to man up and take responsibility for his own actions" Clark said. He claims Obamas plan would result in about $983 million a year in economic losses for the region around the Johnson Space Center.
Some Democrats such as former Congressman Nick Lampson whose district included parts of Galveston County as well as the Johnson Space Center said the president made changes to his initial policies because of lobbying from labor unions and pro-NASA Democrats.
Obamas new proposal would restructure Constellation to develop the Orion crew capsule as a standby vehicle to take astronauts to and from the space station. Lampson said he thought more progress could be made.
Republican Pete Olson who did not attend either rally Friday holds that congressional seat now and has been part of a bipartisan delegation of Texas congressional members pushing for changes to the presidents NASA plan.
Contractors Agree: Leave NASA Alone
David Hughes of Deer Park works in maintenance support for Computer Sciences Corp. a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center and is among about 400 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who work for contractors in the Houston area including those who do business at the Johnson Space Center.
Hughes said he fears during the lag between when the shuttle program ends this year and when lawmakers decide what direction to take NASA many skilled workers at Johnson will look for jobs elsewhere.
Leave NASA alone" Hughes said while attending the Democrats rally. People think NASA hasnt made progress but were still the leader in space exploration. We need to maintain that."
For John Paterson who agreed with Hughes about the workers leaving the region NASAs future is more than politics its personal. As a systems test engineer for Lockheed Martin he said he worried the presidents plan would set the American manned space program and engineering as a career back.
In an address to the anti-Obama rally he said he struggled with what to tell young people about what NASA does.
The only way I could accurately describe it is you remember that Christmas when you were promised a bicycle and instead you got a sweater?" he said. Dont let this administration give us the sweater."
