Texas bases

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

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Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the military is paying to
maintain too many bases. 
Texas touts growth potential to reinforce bases defense

By Chris Vaughn
Star-Telegram (TX)
May  21, 2004

AUSTIN - During a week in which the U.S. Congress was attempting to
delay next year's round of military base closings, members of the Texas
Military Preparedness Commission conceded that the closings are
inevitable and ramped up their plans to lobby for more troops at major
bases in the state.

Unlike a decade ago, when communities in Texas expended considerable
effort on keeping bases open, the nine-member state commission now
throws around "capacity for growth" and "jointness" in their
presentations to Pentagon leaders.

The strategy of growth as protection against closure is not unlike a
corporation attempting to increase its stock price as a defense against
a buyout. Larger and busier bases will be more politically and
economically expensive to close, the thinking goes.

The commissioners say growth at the state's 15 or so installations could
come at the expense of cities in Europe and Asia, where the Pentagon has
indicated that it will reduce troops by thousands in the next few years.

"We have plenty of training space," said Bill Ehrie, chairman of the
Texas commission and a retired commander of Dyess Air Force Base in
Abilene. The volunteer commissioners were appointed by Gov. Rick Perry.

"We don't have encroachment," Ehrie said. "We don't have environmental
issues. We have jointness. We don't have airspace issues. And we have
resources to offer them to assist in the move."

...

for the entire article, see
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/8722318.htm?1c

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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