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Date Published: January 8, 2004
Clark: Shaw should be safe
By BRADEN BUNCH
Item Staff Writer
bradenb@theitem.com
Democratic presidential hopeful and retired U.S. Army
Gen. Wesley Clark said Wednesday he thinks it’s unlikely the
Department of Defense would close Shaw Air Force Base.
“My
guess is that it’s an important Air Force base, it’s in a great
location, and people like to serve there, and I would think the Air
Force would strongly like to keep it,” said Clark, who retired as a
four-star general and the supreme allied commander, Europe, in
2000.
The Department of Defense plans to close up to a
quarter of the country’s military bases in 2005, the fifth
restructuring in 20 years.
Clark also said the federal
government needs to make sure military installations that are closed
are replaced with different economic opportunities for the
surrounding community.
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CLARK |
Speaking via phone
from New Hampshire, Clark defended the Department of Defense’s
upcoming Base Realignment and Closure process, saying that it
ensures the military is operating efficiently.
“You want to
have as much defense as you need, but you don’t want to be putting
resources into defense that could be more productively used for
America’s benefit overall in things like education and health care,”
Clark said.
“As president, I’ll make sure that the bases that
are closed, we take care of the people in those communities so
they’re helped to create additional economic opportunities there to
replace what might be lost when the base closes,” Clark
said.
With the presidential primary now less than a month
away, Democratic candidates are beginning the brunt of the campaign
push for South Carolina voters, while still wrapping up campaigns in
Iowa, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia.
The
59-year-old Clark, the last of the nine national candidates to enter
the Democratic primary, has opted to skip the Iowa and D.C.
caucuses. Clark stumped for South Carolina voters while
simultaneously campaigning in New Hampshire. He began by making a
series of media calls to the Palmetto State, pushing several of his
initiatives, including his income tax proposal.
“We want to
help America’s working families,” Clark said, adding that 31 million
families will pay lower taxes with his plan. “If you make $100,000 a
year or under and you’ve got children, we’re going to help you. If
you’re making $50,000 or under you won’t pay any taxes if you’ve got
two kids. That’s a lot of Americans.”
Clark’s plan raises tax
rates for those making more than $1 million annually.
Clark
also said the federal government needs to help industry by taking
away tax subsidies for companies that are exporting jobs. He said
that would aid the South Carolina textile industry in particular,
along with the president insisting that the Chinese government stop
unfair economic practices that entice companies to ship jobs out of
the country.
“That’s our president’s problem. He hasn’t stood
up for the American workers,” Clark said.
Clark said he plans
to make several visits to the state before the Feb. 3 primary, with
the next trips scheduled for next week.
A CNN-USA
Today- Gallup nationwide poll released Wednesday said Clark had
drawn within the poll’s margin of error with the front-runner,
former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, essentially forging a
tie.
Previous polls for the Palmetto State primary have had
Clark anywhere from first to fifth in a tight race.
Clark
said he was not worried about the numbers, however, and was more
encouraged by the reaction he was receiving when meeting voters
while on the campaign trail.
“The polls come up and down, and
the only poll that matters is what the people do when they go to the
polling place and vote,” Clark said.
Contact Staff
Writer Braden Bunch at bradenb@theitem.com or
803-774-1222.
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February 3, 2004 
