War Of Words Erupts Between NYC And Houston Over Shuttle Enterprise
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Houston congressman wants to play his own version of "Texas hold 'em" to keep NASA from sending one of its retiring space shuttles to New York City.
But Sen. Chuck Schumer isn't having it.
Giving New York City -- and not Houston -- one of the space shuttles is, to quote a popular Texas saying, "as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party." And Houston Congressman Ted Poe has introduced legislation to stop NASA from doing it.
"It's my opinion that Houston certainly was robbed of one of the space shuttles," said Rep. Poe, a Republican.
The congressman told Kramer he blames President Barack Obama for making a "political decision" to send the Shuttle Enterprise to be exhibited at the Intrepid Museum in blue state New York, not the Johnson Space Center in red state Texas.
"There's a lot of great things about New York, but the NASA program is not one of the things that's relevant to New York. It would be like putting the Statue of Liberty in Omaha, Neb. The first word on the moon was 'Houston.' It was not 'New York City,'" Poe said.
But to use another Texas phase, "that dog won't hunt," Poe's efforts to derail the shuttle wont work according to New York Sen. Schumer.
"I would say to Congressman Poe what we say in Brooklyn, 'fuhgettaboutit,'" Schumer told Kramer.
The senator said NASA gave New York the shuttle for a simple reason.
"What NASA was looking for is 'what is the capital of the world? Where will the most people see the shuttle?' In New York; not in Houston, Texas," Schumer said.
People who live and work here agree.
"It should come to New York. There's more tourists in New York. People will come and see it. Texas? Who goes to Texas?" said Alex Cummings of Fort Lee, N.J.
"I think it deserves to be in New York. New York is basically the capital of the world," Jericho, N.Y. resident Larry Hyams added.
The shuttle is expected to draw an additional 1 million visitors a year to what is already a very popular attraction on the Intrepid.
Congressman Poe's bill would essentially stop payment of the funds needed to move the shuttle enterprise to the Big Apple. Schumer reiterated Poe has no chance of winning.
You think Houston has a legitimate gripe? Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.
