US towns brace for base-closing wave

[question everything]

US towns brace for base-closing wave

The Christian Science Monitor - csmonitor.com

from the May 12, 2005 edition -

The Pentagon is expected to announce a large number of closings among its 425 domestic bases.

By Sara B. Miller and Mark Sappenfield | Staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor

(snip)

Friday morning, the wait is expected to be over. After months of speculation, the Pentagon is set to release the roster of bases scheduled for closure as part of an ambitious - and controversial - plan for a leaner and more flexible military in the 21st century. For communities on the list, it will mark the start of a summer of frantic lobbying to save the jobs, money, and prestige that a US base brings. Yet for the wisest towns, experts say, the shift marks the beginning of something else altogether - planning for life after the installation is gone. From Colorado plains to Indiana cornfields, history suggests that communities have suffered less when they have been willing to let go and move forward - in many cases coming up with new plans for the site even before the base-closing list is finalized.

(snip)

Each affected community will have a chance to state its case before the panel. "That shouldn't be undervalued," says Mr. Ford. Yet in previous rounds, the commission has traditionally overturned only about 10 percent of the Pentagon's suggestions.

(snip)

The Defense Department has tried to be clear about the purpose behind this year's closures: The national economy and even cost savings are secondary. This is about crafting the best possible network of bases to support the military as it changes from a cumbersome cold war behemoth to a more flexible strike force.

(snip)

Kittery is not the only place on edge in the face of the BRAC process. Texas and South Carolina, for example, have bought open space around military bases to keep away urban sprawl. Alabama spent $100 million of its own money to refurbish aging military facilities. And last year, Florida increased benefits for members of the armed forces.

(snip)

When the Pentagon shut down Lowry Air Force Base a decade ago, the move had all the earmarks of a local disaster. The installation employed some 7,500 civilians and contributed $300 million to the economy annually. But a redevelopment plan was in place before the base closed, and Thursday, the former airfield is home to 3,000 homes, 100 businesses, and 10 schools. One estimate suggests the site now generates $4 billion a year. By contrast, at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in California, local leaders were insistent on building a new international airport, even though the community was not behind it. The dispute lasted more than 10 years and cost more than $100 million. To be sure, base closings can be traumatic for communities, particularly small ones. But statistics show that 85 percent of the jobs lost in the previous four rounds have been recovered, according to the Government Accountability Office.

(snip)

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0512/p01s01-usmi.htm

[walldude]

1. Gotta close the bases here so they can

open new ones in Iraq. Outsourcing....

[RC]

2. You got it dude.

[demosincebirth]

3. The closed Oakland Army Base and Navel Supply Ctr

here is Oakland, is booming with container ships and docks.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. I guess the republicans and local townfolk will blame Clinton.