Brickbat: Go Fly a Kite

The California Coastal Commission voted 6–4 to block an Air Force proposal to let SpaceX launch up to 50 rockets per year from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Commission members have long resisted the Air Force's efforts to increase the number of launches from the base, citing what they say are the impact on wildlife and the environment. But at its latest meeting, some members also pointed to Elon Musk's politics as a reason to reject the request. "Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet," said Commissioner Gretchen Newsom.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

They fucking love science.

[Don't look at me!]

They fucking love science power.

[TJJ2000]

"Elon Musk is a Jew!", CA [Na]tional So[zi]alist[s].

[CharlesWT]

I thought he was an African American.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Sammy Davis Jr was both; why can't Elon Musk be both?

[Mickey Rat]

Unelected state quasi-legislature uses environmental NIMBYisms to carry out petty political vendetta against industrialist while hampering the national space program. Welcome to Democrat politics.

[Chumby]

Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the internet.

Jeff is transitioning into a Gretchen?

[Dan S.]

What does this have to do with kites?

[docduracoat]

To be honest, the state coastal commission cannot stop the federal space force from launching rockets with whatever contractors they want.

At least half of the proposed launches are for Space X private ventures like starlink.
For which Musk does need state approvals.

A state commission that is highly partisan and denies approvals based on the politics of a business owner is standard operating procedure for the people’s republic of California.
And likely unconstitutional.

[Mickey Rat]

And a sign of a corrupt institution that needs to be abolished if it cannot operate in a politically disinterested manner.

[Brandybuck]

The Coastal Commission has been doing shit like this for decades. No one cares. An unelected body of left wing activists basically rules everything within twenty miles of the coast in California. Which is crazy considering there are three major cities on the coast in California.

[Rossami]

Longer and better article on this topic over on the Volokh side - SpaceX's First Amendment Claim Against California Coastal Commission. Also a well-informed and (mostly) civil discussion about the merits of the case in the comments section.

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

Commissioner Gretchen Newsom

Is this what you get when you cross Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom?

[Ersatz]

When i first read that i thought it must be either a typo or a joke

[AT]

Screw 'em. Do it anyway.