Northeast Corridor

BASE CLOSINGS

MICHAEL BARONE on BRAC base closings:

These decisions will also increase the already high likelihood that Congress will not reject the final regulations. They will be rejected only if both houses of Congress vote to do so within 45 days of submission of the final list. Maine's senators may still vote no because Brunswick Naval Air Station remains on the closure list, but New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island will face only minor losses—probably not enough to prompt their senators to vote no.

I think that closing Fort Monmouth is a very poor decision. A great deal of important work happens there. (Disclosure: I work at Ft. Monmouth)

UPDATE: I have thought of another argument against closing Ft. Monmouth. The government will need to spend money now to close the base in order to save money later, but the federal government is running a deficit. This means that any monies spent now will be from a bond that interest will have to be paid on. I am certain that this factor was not used in deciding the fate of these bases. The Pentagon and the BRAC commission probably looked at the savings just in terms of the DOD's budget not in terms of the entire federal budget.

UPDATE2: Fort Monmouth may have an out. The commssion passed an amendment that said the facility could not be closed until the Army proved that the move would not hurt military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

posted by Long Island Bob @ 11:57 AM