14 Jan 2013

White House strikes back on Death Star petition

7:35 am on 14 January 2013

The US government has dashed the hopes of Star Wars fans across the galaxy by rejecting an official petition calling for it to build a Death Star, the fictional planet-destroying space station featured in the movies.

In a response to the 34,435 people who signed the petition on the White House website, a government spokesperson said the Obama Administration does not support blowing up planets.

"The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defence, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon," said Paul Shawcross, head of the White House budget office's science and space branch.

The White House accepts petitions and responds to the most popular ones, Reuters reports.

Most on its website address weighty policy issues, but among them are quirky petitions such as a call for the minting of a trillion-dollar platinum coin to avoid a debt default if Congress fails to raise the US debt limit next month.

The Death Star petitioners argued the project would create jobs and strengthen national defence. But it would be costly, particularly at a time when the government is fixated on finding ways to slash spending and reduce its debt.

"The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it," Mr Shawcross said.