Texas makes a play for Space-X launch facility

Houston Chronicle:
Even as SpaceX continued to make history on Friday by berthing its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, the state of Texas has stepped up its efforts to woo the company here.
State officials are developing an incentive package to encourage SpaceX to build a spaceport near Brownsville. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company is also considering launch sites in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Two sources familiar with the negotiations said the state is working on a multimillion-dollar package that could include funding from the Texas Enterprise Fund, infrastructure support from the state Department of Transportation and assistance from the Texas Workforce Commission, among others.
The discussions come about a month after SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Texas could be bringing more to the table.
"There's been a lot of good action by the authorities in the Brownsville area; there's not been that much at the state level, and we'd certainly appreciate more from the state level," Musk said at the time.
On Friday a spokesman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry confirmed that the state is engaged in talks with SpaceX.
"We're very supportive of this project," said Allison Castle. "We're coordinating with every agency across state government that might have a positive impact on this project."
... Unlike Florida, Texas does not have a dedicated state agency program devoted to promoting the development of commercial space. In Florida, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is chair of Space Florida, which has a $10 million budget to demonstrate the state's commitment to commercial space....
The company already has some facilities in Texas and the Johnson Space Center is still a player in the launch operations.  The Texas business climate and the number of high tech companies could also be a lure.  I expect Gov. Perry to do all he can to make it possible for the Brownsville area to get the site even though it is one of the few areas in Texas that consistently support Democrats.   It is near Padre Island which would have some appeal to the engineers and technicians who would work in the facility.

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