Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley) and Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (R-Antelope Valley) sent a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger on Monday regarding a NASA contract to develop a crew exploration vehicle is expected to exceed $6.5 billion and could bring thousands of jobs to Southern California. 

  They are requesting the governor to use his leadership and resources to appoint a team of high level officials to clear bureaucratic hurdles, promote the state's advantages to the contractor teams, and evaluate whether specific policy changes are also necessary to make our state competitive.    "Developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle is an exciting opportunity that would translate into more jobs and a boost to the economy for both the Antelope Valley and the entire State of California.  It is critical that California is proactive in aggressively making California as attractive as possible to win this lucrative contract," said Senator George Runner (R-Antelope Valley). National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected two aerospace contractor teams in June 2005 to conduct research and plan for design, development and manufacture of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).  Northrop Grumman and Boeing are partnered in competition with Lockheed Martin.  The letter sent to the Governor stated that each company has manufacturing capability at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale and is ideally located to support hundreds of design, engineering and scientific research subcontractors located in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as throughout the state.  Assemblywoman Sharon Runner (R-Lancaster) said, "Plant 42 is the ideal location as it is equipped to handle the contract and the workforce is experienced.  We hope with the Governor's leadership and the state taking a proactive role in attracting this $6.5 billion contract that the CEV will be built in California and at Plant 42."