THE CITY OF PALMDALE IS A
FINALIST IN THE COMPETITION TO
BECOME THE PERMANENT
HEADQUARTERS OF THE PENTAGON'S
EIGHTH SERVICE BRANCH, THE U-S
SPACE FORCE.
17'S ROBERT PRICE HAS MORE.
ROBERT PRICE / ROBERTPRICE@
KGET.COM
PALMDALE CALIFORNIA, POPULATION
155 THOUSAND, IS
ON THE CUSP OF SOMETHING GREAT,
SOMETHING
MOMENTOUS ---
SOMETHING ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS HERE IN
KERN COUNTY WOULD VERY
MUCH LIKE TO SEE ... THE
NORTHEASTERN
LOS ANGELES COUNTY CITY IS A
FINALIST TO BECOME HOME
OF THE U-S SPACE FORCE, CREATED
IN 2001 BUT FORMALLY GIVEN ITS
INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U-S AIR
FORCE JUST THIS YEAR AS A
SEPARATE, AUTONOMOUS BRANCH OF
THE MILITARY.
PALMDALE HAS A LONG AND
DISTINGUISHED HISTORY AS A
CAPITAL OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY,
SO THE
MARRIAGE MAKES SENSE. BUT
LANDING SPACE FORCE HEADQUARTERS
GOES BEYOND
THAT --- IT WOULD IGNITE THE
ECONOMY OF PALMDALE
LIKE NOTHING ELSE. IT WOULD DO
THE SAME FOR KERN COUNTY, WHOSE
SOUTHERN BORDER IS A MERE 18
MILES NORTH OF
PALMDALE --- AND HOME TO EDWARDS
AIR FORCE BASE, JUST 35 MILES
NORTH OF
PALMDALE -- AND A CHIEF REASON
PALMDALE'S APPLICATION
WAS SO SUCCESSFUL. THE ARRIVAL
OF MAJOR
INDUSTRY GENERALLY HAS A
MULTIPLIER EFFECT ON JOB
CREATION OF FIVE TO ONE FOR
EVERY JOB DIRECTLY
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT NEW
INDUSTRY, FIVE JOBS IN OTHER
FIELDS, FROM CONSTRUCTION TO
RETAIL, ARE CREATED.
WELL, ANALYSTS ARE TELLING
PALMDALE OFFICIALS TO
EXPECT A 20 TO ONE MULTIPLIER
EFFECT.
AND THAT BOOM CAN'T HELP BUT
CROSS THE BORDER INTO KERN
COUNTY COMMUNITIES LIKE
ROSAMOND, MOJAVE,
CALIFORNIA CITY AND RIDGECREST
-- WHERE CHINA
LAKE NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION
IS A HUGE PART OF
THE ECONOMY -- AND A KEY LIKELY
PARTNER OF SPACE
FORCE HEADQUARTERS IN PALMDALE.
PALMDALE MAYOR STEVE HOFBAUER
SAYS EVEN THE CITY
OF BAKERSFIELD -- 90 MILES
NORTHWEST -- CAN'T HELP BUT
BENEFIT.
STEVE HOFBAUER: ROBERT PRICE:
ROSAMOND,
POPULATION 14 THOUSAND, WOULD BE
PROBABLY
AMONG THE FIRST IN LINE TO SEE
GROWTH FROM THE
ARRIVAL OF THE SPACE FORCE.
ROSAMOND REALTOR JEN
GURULE SAYS SHE'S ALREADY SEEING
MOVEMENT.
JEN GURULE:
ROBERT PRICE: AT ITS TUESDAY
OF SUPERVISORS GAVE ITS OFFICIAL
ENDORSEMENT TO PALMDALE'S
CANDIDACY FOR SPACE FORCE
HEADQUARTERS.
WITH GOOD REASON. THEY KNOW THAT
SPACE FORCE ISN'T JUST THE
FUTURE OF
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS. IT MAY
WELL BE PART OF THE FUTURE OF
REGIONAL PROSPERITY, TOO.
IN BAKERSFIELD, ROBERT PRICE, 17
NEWS.
JIM:
WE'RE BACK AFTER THE
BREAK.
TAMI:
