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| End of live bombing at Vieques makes base, jobs expendable |
| 2003-07-21 |
| Stopping the U.S. Navy from conducting live-fire bombing exercises on the tiny Puerto Rican island of Vieques was a hot cause for leftist activists, Hollywood stars and Democrats in Congress in 2001. The pressure ultimately led to President Bush deciding to end 60 years of live bombing at Vieques — the final wisps of smoke blew in May — and conduct exercises elsewhere, such as the Florida Keys and the North Carolina coast. But the victory in the Battle of Vieques came at a steep price to the people of Puerto Rico and created a largely unforeseen consequence, the closing of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, the island’s largest employer. "If you take the [bombing] mission away from Vieques, you don’t need that base anymore," said Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, California Republican. "Sometimes you get what you wish for." Bwahahaha! Tucked into the Defense spending bill for 2004 is a provision that will close the base six months after the bill is signed by Mr. Bush. The sprawling base, which once stationed more than 7,000 sailors and employs thousands of Puerto Ricans in support jobs, injects $250 million into the local economy. "Sure, [Puerto Rico] would like to have the money, but we have other priorities," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, California Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee. "Many of the protesting organizations had an idea" the base could be closed, "but probably not so quickly." Assuming any of them have enough brain cells to think at all. Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat and ranking member of the defense subcommittee, said the Navy insisted that without live bombing exercises on Vieques, the base is not worth keeping. "The Navy is overly committed all over the world, and they need these 3,000 people in other places," Mr. Murtha said. Rep. Jose E. Serrano, New York Democrat, is outraged at what he calls the "arrogance" of the Navy. He said the people of Puerto Rico are "panicked" about their future without what is affectionately called "Rosey Roads." "I think it’s punishment" for the protests, Mr. Serrano said. "We are being punished for winning an issue against the federal government. The Navy said, ’Oh yeah. We’re going to fix you. We’re going to close the base.’ " Uh, Jose, what did you think was going to happen? Sen. James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he feels sorry for the people of Puerto Rico but that they were "lied to by their politicians" and the protest movement. "Puerto Rico used every unethical and illegal means to kick us off that live range," Mr. Inhofe said. The Senate passed its version of the defense appropriations bill last week. It did not contain language closing the base, but Mr. Inhofe said he expects the base-closing provision to survive in the final version to emerge from conference committee in the coming weeks. The property containing Roosevelt Roads has been appraised at $1.7 billion. After an environmental cleanup, which could cost around $300 million, the property will be sold with the proceeds going to the Department of Defense. Mr. Inhofe said not training at Vieques has increased the cost of necessary live-fire exercises elsewhere and has decreased the training’s effectiveness because it is harder to integrate the exercises among the services. The Vieques property has been turned over to the Interior Department, which will retain possession. The backers of the protestors were planning on putting hotels and condos on the range land, what they got was a wildlife refuge. Bwahahaha! "There’s a huge cost associated with losing that range," Mr. Inhofe said. Mr. Lewis told Delegate Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico Democrat, that he would "give all the support we possibly can" to replace the economic loss of the base closing. Mr. Murtha said previous base closings have come with $50 million to $100 million aid packages. Acevedo-Vila spokesman Paul Weiss would not disclose what kind of aid will be sought for Puerto Rico, and still held out hope the Navy would reconsider "rushing away from such a strategic location." Without the range, it ain’t strategic anymore. Mr. Cunningham said he would oppose any aid package to make up for Roosevelt Roads. "They don’t want us there," Mr. Cunningham said. "They had a chance to become a state and declined. They don’t pay taxes." Mr. Inhofe said it’s now too late to start worrying about the "natural outcome" of the Vieques protests. "That’s their problem," Mr. Inhofe said. "The time for them to be concerned about that was when they were kicking us off our range. I told them this would happen." That’s gonna leave a mark. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #13 The Navy only bombed the far Eastern tip of the island. The Navy owns both the Western third and the Eastern third of the island. Bad news for developers, though. This land will all become national wildlife refuge! Hah! That said, Green Beach, Media Luna and the Bioluminescent Bay will still be there and very much worth seeing. As for quality of life, the Navy hasn't used explosive bombs there in years, so the BOOM factor wasn't an argument. Too bad 'mainland' Puerto Ricans have to pay for the Viequenses bad attitude. Roosevelt Roads and Vieques aerial |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2003-7-21 7:31:33 PM |
| #12 Hey Viequesians!! Hope you enjoy the peace and quiet, broken only the trilling of song birds as you wait in line at the unemployment office... Pea brained numbwits. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-7-21 4:02:48 PM |
| #11 See? A Compassionate Conservative Government™ establishes a wildlife reserve, barring the development of those nasty condos and hotels by the |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-7-21 3:47:24 PM |
| #10 I am Shocked and Awed™ how our government did the right thing this time, and gave the |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-21 2:57:38 PM |
| #9 Typical liberal "feel good" solution. Instead of the fight or flight instinct, it's the fight AND flight instinct. Win the fight no matter what the cost and then take to flight when the resulting long term problems start to surface. What did they think? The navy would still use it just to park their ships and lay on the beach? The end result was a laugh too as 11A5S pointed out. The greedy developers would have to duke it out with the tree huggers. I love it when a stupid liberal plan comes together! |
| Posted by: Paul 2003-7-21 2:51:44 PM |
| #8 The protesters truly are shocked that the base will close down with the end of the mission. Shoot, they see military bases as jobs programs for the local communities, NOT bases for military units. Just an extension of their belief you can intervene militarily only if there are absolutely no US interests involved to corrupt the issue--Yes to Liberia and no to Iraq, right? They wanted the base gone--they got it. Live with it. |
| Posted by: BJD (The Dignified Rant) 2003-7-21 1:58:01 PM |
| #7 The developers were fools anyway. To the best of my knowledge, no ex-firing range has been opened for civilian development. A dud shell fired into marshy ground will penetrate all the way to the bedrock, making it impossible to economically clear the rounds. Even if you were to set some arbitary delay (50 years? 100?), the same environmentalists who wanted the range shut down would block you from building houses on it. I'm not sure I disagree with them. I wouldn't want to be the poor SOB with the house built over the 16-inch shell when it decides to go off. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2003-7-21 1:36:23 PM |
| #6 So when do they start the protests against the base closing? Will the same "stars" and politicians be attending in order to help all the people whose jobs they caused to evaporate? |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-7-21 1:09:28 PM |
| #5 De-mining the area could be interesting. France is still trying to clean up a huge amout of WWI battle Fields. See Aftermath: The Remnants of War by Donovan Webster (originally publilshed in 1996) the first chapter. |
| Posted by: Jim K 2003-7-21 1:04:53 PM |
| #4 Don't worry my Puerto Rican cousins. Al Sharpton will take care of everything for you when he becomes President. Al remembers his friends. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-7-21 12:59:51 PM |
| #3 "...things will pick back up around Vieques as bird watchers and those seeking solitude will flock, in droves, to the park like setting around that area." Not for a long time. Remember, it was a live fire base; cleaning up unexploded shells will probably take a long time, not to mention a lot of money, and it's specialized work, so the locals won't get much work from it. Too bad, so sad.... Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-7-21 12:24:42 PM |
| #2 Just be careful where you step. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-7-21 12:21:54 PM |
| #1 Once everything calms down things will pick back up around Vieques as bird watchers and those seeking solitude will flock, in droves, to the park like setting around that area. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-7-21 12:07:55 PM |