|
Web posted
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
|
 |
Base defenders taking nothing for granted
BEAUFORT: Group worried public not aware of military installations' economic impact.
By Lolita Huckaby
Carolina Morning News
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson may think the state's military bases are safe from next year's military base closure list, but members of the Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce's Military Enhancement Committee aren't letting their defenses down.
"There's a tremendous amount at stake here and right now, everything's on the table. And we're going to do the best we can to let the public know that," said Wes Jarmulowicz, chairman of the committee.
The committee has already received financial support from the state, the county and all four of the county's municipalities, with another $200,000 sitting in the County Council's reserve left over from the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure campaigns.
The next step, Jarmulowicz told member's of Beaufort County Council's Military Affairs Committee on Monday, is to go to the public for additional financial support.
"We're in good shape right now but that might change if the situation changes and there might be the need for some Washington lobbyists," he said.
As much as raising money, the committee wants to present an educational campaign to the community that will explain the importance of the county's three military bases, facilities that pump more than $454 million into the local economy and provide more than 1,200 civilian jobs.
According to a study by Georgia Southern University for the Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, if the bases were to close, it would take the community 10 to 17 years to recover economically.
"People say, 'Look at what's happened in other communities where bases were closed, like Jacksonville or Charleston.' But Beaufort doesn't have the diverse industrial base those communities have," Jarmulowicz said.
The BRAC proceedings also include provisions that if the environmental cleanup of a base targeted for closure is too costly, the military can opt to "mothball" that establishment rather than sell it on the open market for development.
Council Vice Chairman W.R. "Skeet" Von Harten, a former Marine Corps officer, wished the committee well and pledged his support.
"We're organized. We're ready for the challenge," Jarmulowicz said.
Reporter Lolita Huckaby can be reached at 524-5448 or lolita.huckaby@lowcountrynow.com
|
|
|
