BRAC attack
Maybe this is why Mr. Mike is behaving like Silent Sam when it comes to the OLF travesty. Could it be that the good Guv is afraid that if he tells the Navy they can't screw over family farms, they'll stop pouring money into NC bases?
To which I say, bullshit. The military has too many sunk costs in North Carolina to "unfund" anything of significance. If Easley tells them they can't crash their jets in Washington County, they'll just find another place in North Carolina, which is what they should have done in the first place.
Gov. Mike Easley on Friday asked North Carolina’s congressional delegation to help ensure that Congress approves full funding to carry out BRAC mandates.
The U.S. Senate will take up the funding issue next week when it considers a continuing resolution for the federal budget. The House on Wednesday passed its version, which Army officials say puts the base realignment and closure projects at risk.
“While funding in the continuing resolution passed this week by the House of Representatives adds $1 billion, it still falls about $2 billion short of the needed nationwide funding,” the governor wrote. “It is critical that the transitions outlined by the BRAC realignments continue without delay. Failure to properly fund this now could derail progress on what is already a tight schedule to implement the changes. Up to $220 million in projects at Fort Bragg alone could be stalled if funding is not approved.”
Our NC delegation should not approve this continuing resolution unless and until they also restrict the US Navy from using any money for the Site C OLF. Seems pretty simple to me.
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anyone else
remember how the US either failed to pay, or took forever to pay, UN dues for years and years because Helms decided he didnt like them? We dont have anyone willing to exert that same type of influence to protect North Carolina's farmers AND our pilots?
Draft Brad Miller -- NC Sen ActBlue :::Petition
Ag is NC's #1 $$
Doesn't my Governor know that Agriculture is NC's #1 Industry?
Im not all that convinced what the Gov is saying is on target
The BRAC process will continue, and many decisions are based on the priority of, is it a BRAC based decision. When the folks inside the beltway take their collective heads out of their collective butts and start administrating the government the way they should be, then the BRAC decisions will go forward. Albiet, it will cost even more, but because our politicians enjoy the smell of brown, its no big thing. (my wallet is screaming at that comment).
What the Gov should be screaming about is any money being allocated for this OLF when the OMB stated as a guideline for the 2007 military approprations bill that no money is to be allocated for incremental building projects unless called out by a BRAC... This second OLF is not on a BRAC (never been provided to a BRAC for concideration). I encourage the Gov to work that issue and utilize the money earmarked for 2007 spending at Washington County site C to be redistrubuted to some of the projects he is concerned about now as a stop gap until the politicians in Washington are smelling fresh air. Yes, the House bill had, even with this requirement from OMB, money earmarked for the Washington County OLF. I cannot remember the figure, but it was $7 million, $15 million or $30 million. But it had increment 4, Washington County OLF as the line item. So what happened to the decision making process? What happened to the DSEIS? What happened to the looking at other sites and giving a thruo review of the collected data? The house voted on this bill in early march. The data collection for the 2005/2006 bird study in Washington/Beaufort counties was not even completed and we already have more money being allocated to be spent in 2007 for a site that has not been officially selected. Sounds to me like Washigton County has already been selected. Gov, thats something you need to be asking about. Why is the Navy in Washington County operating a base that is not even suppose to be worked on during a continuing resolution stop-gap year? The money being spent for something that is not needed, nor for something that has not been officially endorsed in your State is a problem that you should be concerned about.
In actuality, all 6 sites should be being looked at again becuase if site C is found wanting, then site F needs to be readdressed just like the other 4 sites are being looked at. Or is this another decision that only impacts the people of NE North Carolina. Is this more proof of reverse engineering the data to fit the decision? Seems funny how the Reps of Beaufort, SC have stated that they wanted to become the next Atlantic Master Jet Base and that they would find a place for the OLF AND this FEIS performed a study of MCAS Beaufort and found a spot that would accomidate the OLF? Seems like a win win situation to me. Dont you?
For those that dont know it, this FEIS has a site F, in South Carolina for an OLF with a diffrent siting criteria. To many variables to go into at this time.
Eastern Carolina sell out
Wake up people!
The entire eastern seaboard is being sold out for the big bucks of military money that our nation doesn't have in it's coffers.
Onslow Bay: the military looking for more space for a bombing range
500 square miles of sonar range off our coast, which by the way last week the DoD said the heck with the laws, they are going to "ping" anyway.
OLF on the Albemarle Pennisula
IF the F-18 squadrons are delivered to Cherry Point,the results will be very pleasant for the folks living there to hear the loudest jets on the planets flying over their heads?
Moore County aspiring to becmone another Virginia Beach where it takes one hour to go thirteen miles during rush hour.
Marine's trying to get more NC airspace(MOA's)to dog fight
This is just the beginning for the "Friendliest military state in the country." But we LOVE that money!
Missed this the first time I read it!
Moore County is not any where near ready for the onslaught the BRAC is bringing. There are attempts at "growth management" being made, but it's going slowly, and there are many different interests. As a resident, though, I'm can assure you that there really isn't anyone here aspiring to have traffic jams like Virginia Beach. The whole point is to avoid that, yes?
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
Overstated
I think the BRAC impact/benefit/crisis on Moore county is overstated. They don't even know what portion of the new people might choose to live here.
IMHO, the bigger impact will be on Raeford/Hoke County who can use all the economic help and tax base they can get.
I think you're right.
The agency I run serves Moore and Hoke Counties. One of our main missions is to help families find child care appropriate to their needs. We've seen military referrals grow in both counties. They've grown more than we anticipated they would in Moore County, but they've skyrocketed in Hoke County - up about 15% over last year, and last year was up 12% over the year before. This information comes from my quarterly data reports which are not published online, so I can't link you. And you're right - they can use all the economic and tax base help they can get. For what it's worth, they can use all the growth management help they can get, too. It's a beautiful place.
One part of the infrastructure of a place that isn't often spoken of in all the growth management talk is the child care structure. Unlike public schools, child care funding is a patchwork of private paying parent fees and publicly funded subsidies for low-income parents. Its a crap-shoot. In Hoke County, there are about 1200 child care spaces for children ages 0-5. (Again - from my quarterly reports. Data not available online.) If the incoming military families continue at the current pace, we're going to need about 1400 by the end of 2008.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi