Base closings expected in evil New England, shifting to the South

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON — The new round of military base closings expected to begin with a Pentagon announcement this week is shaping up in part as a struggle between base advocates in the Northeast and the Sun Belt...

A southward migration of bases would continue a trend from four previous rounds of base closures that began in 1988. Eighteen states that have banded together in a Northeast-Midwest coalition saw active duty military personnel drop 41% — as high as 92% in New Hampshire — compared with a national average of 24%.....

"What's driving the geographic movement of forces to the South and particularly the West is the need for elbow room," Grundman said. "Forty years ago it might have been possible to station an armored division in New England. These days, given the range and lethality of the forces, those don't make very practical training and basing areas."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/nextroundofmilitarybaseclosingsmayfavorwestsouth

[SmokingJacket]

1. Er, that is... blue states lose, red states win!!! nt

[Toots]

5. Some losses are more than worth it

Let them have the bases. They can contaminate their own damn land and put up with rowdy servicemen. Sometimes things do work out for the best. Those closed bases will be put to a good use and generate even more income without the pain.

[SmokingJacket]

8. Well.. you're right about that.

I used to live near a base. What a nightmare. They don't pay the soldiers or their families enough to live in those places.

But... jobs is jobs. The NE needs all they can get.

[CornField]

10. The problem with the abandoned bases is that they *ARE* brownfields

Before they can be fleshed back into the communities, they have to be cleaned up. (The military isn't held to the same standards as industry -- so the lands are typically very expensive to clean.)

[Malva Zebrina]

2. there was an attack on the WTC in New York

who is closer to NY--an airbase in the northeast or one in South Carolina or Alabama?

[Horse with no Name]

3. perhaps they realize

that before this all over, the country will divide North and South again.
They are stacking their decks.

[Bluebear]

6. Certainly jumped out at me. nt

[Horse with no Name]

12. Kick for importance. eom

[Kerrytravelers]

4. They really are trying to start a civil war here again, aren't they?

Pit all the rethugs and the servicemen/women (who come in all shades of red/blue and purple) in the South and protray the Northeast as not wanting them... those liberal elitist. Bet it falls right along which state went how on the electoral college map... and those every pesky swing states.

But hey, maybe I'm just cynical and jaded...

[Joey Liberal]

11. Bush is going to trash the blue states. n/t

[lala_rawraw]

7. Um... what is going on?

Anyone?

[Bluebear]

9. Disarming the blue states?