Burr: It is not my problem! (OLF)
Submitted by parmea on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 6:31pm
Please do not look to me for help
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr on Wednesday reiterated his support for area counties opposed to a Navy jet training field in eastern North Carolina.
But North Carolina's junior U.S. senator also said there is nothing he or fellow North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole can do to remove the sites in Camden County and Gates County from the Navy's shortlist of possible locations for the airfield.
"I've said from the beginning that I couldn't support any location the community is not supportive of," Burr, R-N.C., said during a visit in Pasquotank County. "The current locations were not based on recommendations of Sen. Dole or myself. We don't have the ability to remove locations from consideration."
Senator Burr, when are you going to represent us? The Navy is about to start, meaning they have not started, a NEPA study to determine where if any an OLF should be placed to support the planes of NS Norfolk and NAS Oceana. This NEW study does not even include MCAS Cherry Point anymore. And your telling us that you are going to allow 2 counties you represent to have to fight to keep an OLF from being forced upon us just because you did not submit the list? Where are your priorities? In 30 months or whenever the Navy comes out with this new record of decision, you will then step up and say, "Naaaaa, you cannot put it there?" Why are you going to allow this travesty to happen to us?
So if Burr could, he would remove Camden and Gates County from the list?!
Gov. Easley, you created this monster. You failed to let the communities being considered know they were until it was to late. You encouraged and if I'm not mistaken, required the Navy NOT to talk to the effected communities until after the Navy's deadline to submit the list to their boss. The Navy gave us a chance to be removed from consideration, but you did not let them tell NE NC who you were willing to sacrifice. So we could not ask to be removed. Slick move.
Governor Easley, how are you going to correct this huge blunder? Please explain why any community in YOUR state has to defend themselves for a facility that is not required. Or worse, explain why a community in OUR state has to be sacrificed to support an economic building block of another state?
This new EIS is not even about two squadrons of Super Hornets any more. That was settled in the old EIS when the Navy utilized Alternative 6. Funny that the part of the old EIS that a few measly judges said was improperly or inadiquetly performed was just terminated. The part that determined first, was an OLF required to support Oceana? Which the Navy said was NO, an OLF was not required to support Oceana under any alternative. Oceana does not require a second OLF.
Please explain why the next governor will have to deal with this problem?
Governor Easley, the region as a whole has said "no thank you, we do not wish to host an OLF." When are you going to represent us and get NE NC off this list.
Governor Easley and Senator Burr, the Navy has not yet started this new EIS, you can right now tell them that "NO community in NE NC wishes to host this OLF. Take every community in my State off of your list."
Gov. Easley, if there is a community that wishes to host this OLF, then put them on the list if your so inclined.
I do not think that the DOD is that petty that they would take away any of the other military bases in NC because the people of NE NC realized that the Navy was trying to put a facility that was not required into our region and we said "no thank you. We know it is not required, please fix what you have right now and then prove to us the facilities under Department of the Navy control on the Atlantic Coast cannot perform the military mission of training pilots for carrier operations."
Fix Oceana and Fentress before even thinking of looking to North Carolina.
Yes this is an election year and we are in the midst of actually having our voice mean something in the Democratic Primaries. This OLF is not a DEM vs GOP fight, but what is right for the pilots and people. The pilots require a first-rate training facility. Fentress and Oceana are not that. This OLF in Camden or Gates County will not make Oceana and Fentress a first-rate facility for our pilots.
As one voice Governor Easley, Senators Dole and Burr, please tell the Navy that "North Carolina is not the place for this OLF and remove Camden, Gates and any other North Carolina County that does not support this OLF from your list of finalists." You have done it before, please do it now.
Senator Burr, I sure hope you are pounding the door down of Governor Easley's mansion telling him the people WE represent are not happy with the current situation regarding this OLF. We need to help and support OUR people. We both do not like the choices the Navy is about to study. Lets save the Navy and our own people a lot of time and heartache and just say "Sorry Navy, not this time. Not one acre of land is available in North Carolina for an OLF. The people of the region your targeting will not support a facility that you yourself has said is not required."
Thank you
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Burr has been useless on this issue
If he cared for one second, he'd step in and make this problem go away. Just. Like. That.
But he doesn't care. He's too busy trying his legs on the national stage, looking to lead his bankrupt party over the same cliffs Liddy Dole has traversed. These two Senators are part of the problem when it comes to the OLF. They don't even understand the issues.
That's just plain pathetic.
Useless on this issue?
James,if you can show me ANY ISSUE that Burr has NOT been useless on, I will give that man a cigar.
Burr is a waste of oxygen. As bad as Dole is, he is even worse.
The two of them remind me of the scene in "Blazing Saddles" in the Governor's office when Mel Brooke's said
" we got to do something to protect our phony baloney jobs"
ha ha ha ha ha!!!
Excellent!! That's exactly right!!!
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Tis true
Burr will not tell the Navy not to start studying two sites that have already made it extremely clear that they will not support it.
He feels that it would be better if the two communities have to fight and utilize monetary resources they really cannot afford to dip into. Or maybe just go belly up and accept the Navy's proposal and host this OLF. Then this whole problem would go away.
He is suppose to be our watchdog and validating actions of the Executive Branch for fairness and appropriateness.
I have ranted enough that I will spare folks my fairness comments and appropriateness comments regarding this unneeded facility.
The term "sitting Senator" is suppose to mean a Senator who is in office AND acting for the will of the people. Senator Burr may have a different interpretation of sitting, as in sitting on his hands and hoping he does not have to make decisions?
For those wishing to send Liddy Dole to Kansas:
How would you handle the question of removing Camden and Gates County from the Navy's list of finalists for a NEPA study that has not even started?
How can the Navy have a list of finalists for a study that does not exist?
How would you handle the Department of the Navy creating a list of finalists and then performing a regional study that will validate the predetermined outcome?
I just do not understand how our representatives will not act? Gov, Senators, Representatives, they all point fingers at each other.......Yoooooo guys, when you point, one finger is pointing at your target and three are pointing at YOU with one in the air testing the winds.
Someone please accept ownership of this fight. Governor Easley? Those wishing to live in the Mansion next year? Lt Gov? Senators, Congressman? We the people have spoken and we have gotten the Navy to back away once. We need your help this time. This study has not started yet. Get us off the list before the snowball gets rolling.
Please??
Sen. Burr is typical of Rep. Politicians
Once in Office they often focus on themselves and all the possibilites associated with having the seat. Some Democrats also fit this bill, but not to the degree of Republicans.
Sen Burr, Dole and Rep. Jones will, in all likelyhood, remain silent as long as they are not politically dragged to the table, or otherwise forced to take a position.
Any "unspoken" position is a position against the people.
We have been duped...soooo many times that we now not only expect it, but are barly moved when it happens again.
yet look how quickly they move
to work the land the Navy is now proposing to abandon as a result of this OLF. Thanks burr, dole, butterfield and jones for keeping us informed. Your a (whatever horrible adjective you can think of) example of how NOT to represent people.
Mr. Burr, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Jones, your vultures over a dead carcass. The Navy has not officially released Washington County from concideration (federal registry) but your already divvying up the land?
How sicking,
that the Navy for so long said this site was the best site for our pilots and now it looks like a picture from the Oklahoma land rush days.
Aint heard a dam word from Jones until now. Good on you buddy. Dam glad I do not live in NC-3. Marshall, Kick his tail.
And look who is talking about this? Anthony..... a civilian working for the Navy! Our own stupid representatives wont tell us they are in a feeding frenzy over this land. We have to get it from the Navy.
Burr wont protect us from the Navy but he sure has got his hands involved in how to tell us what and how we will get any of this land.
Burr, the way your attacking this land issue is the exact same way you should be protecting and representing us regarding this OLF. Your doing a preemptive strike on this land, you should also be doing a preemptive strike on keeping the Navy out of NC for a second time.
Dont you guys get it? For 5 years the Navy looked for a community that would go belly up. They did not find a community, but they found Burr and Jones. So, two more communities will have to relearn and tiptoe through the crap that is associated with this OLF because burr does not feel it is his responsibility to act.
Burr, a request from a senator to the Navy is a nice way of saying you should do something else. Please request the Navy remove any site from any kind of Navy list for an OLF. The region of NE NC has shown you to many times and proven to you many many times that we do not wish this OLF. You have said you would support the peoples decision. We do not need 30 months to decide we do not wish it.
Burr, Dole, Butterfield, and Jones, you guys should be asking us what do we want. We want to keep this OLF out of our communities.
Again, we have a great candidate in the 3rd District
let's all send Walter Jr. back home to Farmville....the "French Fry" congressman...turncoat Democrat who apparently is now flip flopping once again by turning against Bush and the Iraq War..too little too late if you ask me....wow, thanks Walter Jr...you Dad would be proud...
Of course, the Repugs have a primary opponent to run against him...Joe McLaughlin..."Ranger Joe"....lol..he is right up there with McCain...a 100 year war in the middle east...whatever it takes..yadda yadda yadda....
Again, I would urge you all to contribute to Marshall's campaign..we need all the help we can get...Walter Jr. unfortunately has a strong backing from within the Democratic Party as well as those loyal Repugs...I guess the Dems that support him all think his Dad is still in office..of course, that would make him 150 years old...lol...Donate to Marshall here....
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/17983
Silence is Betrayal...an Edwards Democrat.
Thanks...
bradford
...T-Rod, for the post on Marshall. And Barbara Garrity-Blake, who will be the best friend environmentalists could ever have in the North Carolina house.
We posted a nomination for Marshall for Blue Majority on Daily Kos on Thursday night. We got a few favorable responses...We need more.
And to everyone who sees this, T-Rod is absolutely right. We really need help on the coast, where all that you inland folks love so much to visit could be lost within a few more years if we don't do even more to limit overdevelopment. The new stormwater rules will help if they get through the General Assembly. And the water access work begun last year (by Barbara Garrity-Blake, in large part) will have a positive impact.
But right now, the only thing that's really holding back continued overbuilding is the economy. I fear that if and when it turns up again, so will the pace of the loss of trees, clean fishing and swimming waters and the cultural heritage of the coast.
Not to be Limbaughian, but, DITTO
bradford
...and thanks, T-Rod, for the post on Marshall. And Barbara Garrity-Blake, who will be the best friend environmentalists could ever have in the North Carolina house.
We posted a nomination for Marshall for Blue Majority on Daily Kos on Thursday night. We got a few favorable responses...We need more.
And to everyone who sees this, T-Rod is absolutely right. We really need help on the coast, where all that you inland folks love so much to visit could be lost within a few more years if we don't do even more to limit overdevelopment. The new stormwater rules will help if they get through the General Assembly. And the water access work begun last year (by Barbara Garrity-Blake, in large part) will have a positive impact.
But right now, the only thing that's really holding back continued overbuilding is the economy. I fear that if and when it turns up again, so will the pace of the loss of trees, clean fishing and swimming waters and the cultural heritage of the coast.
Burr
I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this again
OOOO golly
dont use that picture....my sides hurt to much every time you use it! And takes me a few minutes to regain my composure!
I sooo love that picture of him. In 3 years, he is going to hate that picture.
What a wonderful series of billboards to put up in NE NC. We sure would get it!
Seriously
Burr could almost guarantee himself re-election if he would stand up for North Carolina on this one. It makes me curious as to why he won't do it.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Veep cred
n/t
veep creep.
How many vice presidents have there been named "Dick", anyhow?
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
While he would win and help us
he is afraid that NE NC will not carry the day for him.
He will run into a buzz saw of opposition around the other military bases of NC with rheteroic along the line of "Burr wants the military out of NC, SEE, he made the OLF go away. He is not military friendly." Every notice his stance? He always defaults to requiring the Navy to find a suitable location that meets the Navy's wants and acknowledges the local community's rights. He is a fence rider.
Those regions do not understand the true fight. They will see Burr as anti-military or non-committal toward military concerns. If he let a bunch of farmers chase away a field the Navy wanted, How will he protect our bases at the next BRAC when a real threat shows up. How will he protect Seymour Johnson, Pope, or Cherry Point? He has a proven losing streak in supporting the military. He is weak on the military. He loses...