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Jewish World Review
July 1, 2005
/ 24 Sivan, 5765
Base Closings: When local emotions and national fiscal realities clash
By
Froma Harrop
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
RAPID CITY, S.D. "We're the forgotten factor," Jean Beckler,
wife of a retired military man, complained to South Dakota Public Radio. The
plan to close Ellsworth Air Force Base, she said, "would mean the loss of my
prescriptions."
She's right. The Pentagon had totally forgotten about her meds
when it recommended shutting Ellsworth, here in the southwestern corner of
South Dakota. It must have been worrying about the small stuff, like where
to consolidate the B-1 bomber fleet. Nor did the brass seek out the
aggrieved retiree who said that he and his wife liked to go shopping at the
base commissary.
Other local interests the Pentagon overlooked: the Black Hills
real estate-market, restaurants, auto dealerships, the casinos in nearby
Deadwood and how about the gift shop at Mount Rushmore?
America has too many facilities for its modern forces. A Defense
Department report in 2004 said that about 24 percent of the nation's "base
capacity" was excess. That means many bases must go.
Because these closings are so painful, Congress wisely created a
process that keeps its members' snouts at a distance. The Pentagon
recommends changes, and then the nonpartisan Base Realignment and Closure
Commission (BRAC for short) makes a final list. Most of its members are
former military people. The list goes to the president and then Congress as
a single package. Thus, there's no, "Let's close your base, but not mine."
Before making its final decision, the commission holds hearings
in communities facing loss of a major facility. There, locals can say why
their base is indispensable to America's defense. The opinions the
commission most wants to hear are military ones.
So the hoopla surrounding the Rapid City hearing was basically a
show of contempt for the process. Motorcyclists, city employees and
thousands more with time on their hands were urged to pile into the Civic
Center. They stood along the route the BRAC commissioners took to the
hearing. And they issued declarations of love for Ellsworth and anger at the
"injustice" of its planned closing.
As Jean Beckler put it, "We need to make sure the BRAC
commission sees how the retirement community depends on the base."
Some onlookers could see a bigger picture. "I don't think our
call for 20,000 people to come to the Civic Center is going to change the
BRAC decision," said Linda Boner, a retired school administrator.
"Hopefully, we have better criteria than the number of people who turn out."
And, indeed, military arguments were prepared. A retired general
said that consolidating the B-1s at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas leaves the
entire fleet at the risk of a devastating terrorist attack: Remember Pearl
Harbor. (Had the Defense Department plum forgot about Pearl Harbor?)
Assuming that politics had corrupted the process, the junkies
worked over every possible angle. Question No. 1 was why didn't President
Bush reward South Dakota for replacing Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle
with Republican John Thune? Perhaps Bush favored Dyess because it was in his
home state. Some argued implausibly that it was all Daschle's fault, anyway.
That base-closing decisions have been taken out of politics
doesn't mean politicians can't throw a monkey wrench into their
implementation. Thune introduced a ludicrous bill that would prevent any
base closings while Americans are still fighting in Iraq. Reality check:
Closing bases is supposed to free up money for Iraq.
During the senatorial campaign, Thune had improperly told voters
that he would have the president's ear at base-closing time, and that this
would make a difference. Now, he's getting even with the administration
or pretending to. He has threatened to oppose the nomination of John Bolton
as ambassador to the United Nations and to support re-importing drugs from
Canada. These are two good ideas, in this opinion. So step this way,
senator.
The BRAC panel rarely changes the Pentagon's recommendations, so
this part of South Dakota will probably have to acquaint itself with the
private sector. It can certainly market its lovely scenery to business.
Other places have a lot less to work with.
The locals, meanwhile, should give their flag-waving arms and
sense of entitlement a rest. Defense dollars are finite and should not be
wasted on unneeded facilities. Sometimes the patriotic thing is to let your
military base go.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Froma Harrop is a columnist for The Providence Journal. Comment by clicking here.
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