Bee, Giffords look to the sky

Rep. Giffords addresses NASA grant studentsState Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) talked the economy and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-8) talked education and innovation as both led space themed events around Tucson Friday.

At Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, a maker of precision equipment used on the International Space Station and in space shuttles and communications satellites, Bee led publishing tycoon and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes around the plant while the two discussed matters of the economy.

Forbes took the opportunity to decry the "death tax," referring to the estate tax that was eliminated as part of the Bush tax cuts and will resume in 2010 without congressional action. Bee for his part spoke of how lowering corporate taxes would spur economic growth.

Hours later across town, Giffords stood before a crowd of University of Arizona students who are part of a NASA program to encourage undergraduates involved in science studies.

Giffords spoke and fielded questions about renewable energy development and investment in education. "The budget is a reflection of our values," she said, explaining her disappointment that Arizona "has not prioritized education."

"We are eating our seed corn," she said.

During the talk she focused on the way in which the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957 spurred the United States to invest in space exploration and science education, and, drawing a parallel with renewable, specifically solar, energy development, quoted President John F. Kennedy in saying that we must do it "not because it is easy, but because it is hard."
Giffords has been heavily pushing the creation of the Solana Generating Station, which, if built, will be the largest solar energy plant in North America.

She said she doesn't have a lot of time to pick up groceries herself in the district, but when she does, solar energy "is the one thing people stop me in the supermarket for."