January 29, 2007 -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson visited Vista Middle School in East Las Cruces to ask for support for the spaceport initiative.

"The spaceport is 5,000 jobs for Southern New Mexico, the spaceport is discovery, space -- it's America's future and it's going to be here in Southern New Mexico," said Richardson.

The spaceport is a proposed $225 million facility to launch tourists into space.

"I definitely want to go to space and see how it looks down on earth," said Ryan Maki, a sixth-grader at Vista Middle.

With the possibility of a spaceport in the near future, kids in Vista Middle not only have their eyes set on a diploma, they have their eyes in the sky.

"I'm excited because this gives us new opportunities to reach our goals and it will help with our careers," said sixth-grader, Alexandra Anzalgua.

The spaceport is expected to make up to $1 billion in revenue. But some southern New Mexico counties would have to pay a 1/4-cent sales tax.

Some people, like Arturo Uribe, say Northern counties should contribute as well.

"They want to impose a 1/4 percent tax on one of the poorest counties, when they say this is going to benefit the entire state of New Mexico," said Uribe.

Richardson explained that everyone is contributing.

"The state put up close to $200 million and that's all New Mexicans, I think it's only fair that the counties who benefit the most be participants."