YAHOOOOOO!!!! Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is SAVED!!!!

[BigMcLargehuge]

Not that it means much to the great masses of DU, but the base is home to over 2000 civilian employees who were facing job losses that would have rippled through Souther Eastern NH and Southern Maine.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050824/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/base_closings_19;_ylt=Al.PvKJi.5NPcSvnvjoUDvlsbEwB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

dang, link is garbled...

Panel Overrules Feds on New England Bases

WASHINGTON - Overruling the Pentagon on two of its biggest requests, the base closing commission voted Wednesday to keep open two New England Navy bases that military planners wanted to shut down. The panel also spared an Army depot in Texas.

Commission Chairman Anthony Principi declared that Portsmouth shipyard at Kittery, Maine, and Submarine Base New London in Connecticut "will remain open," effectively throwing out Pentagon plans that New England officials said would scrap economic engines of their region.

In another reversal of the Pentagon's plan, the commission decided to close Naval Air Station Brunswick in Maine, rather than drastically reduce forces there, arguing that savings could be realized more quickly if it was shut down altogether.

Over the past four months, the nine-member panel has expressed worries that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's proposal would leave the Northeast unprotected, a contention the Pentagon rejected. <clip>

[yewberry]

1. Wow!

That is great!

To be honest, I kind of suspected that the New England and PNW closures to be some kind of political retribution toward the blue regions.

I should see if I can find out about the PNW bases now.

[Zomby Woof]

2. ANY time jobs are saved is a good thing these days

Consider this mass of DU appeased. :-)

[Mr.Green93]

3. Can't have too many floating death platforms

Yeah death jobs.

[calico1]

4. That's good news. The SubBase in Groton was

also saved. That is a big employer in my area. Everyone here is relieved.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Did it accept Jesus as its Lord and Savior? (nt)

[arwalden]

6. No... But Portsmouth Is Close To Virginia Beach... Home Of The 700 Club...

It's also the birthplace of designer Perry Ellis and comedian/actor Wanda Sykes... and former home of the world famous Tower Mall.

[northzax]

7. well, it is on the same OCEAN

but it's not all THAT close to virginia beach...628 miles I figure...

[arwalden]

11. I'm Afraid...

... my joke didn't work.

[northzax]

12. sorry, still haven't replaced the batteries

in my sarcasm detecor (or is that an irony detector? who can keep them straight?) they wore out on the sarcasm/irony thread...:banghead:

besides, jokes about Americans not knowing geography? my stars!

[LynneSin]

9. My dad & uncle were stationed at Little Creek in Virginia Beach

:D

[Zomby Woof]

10. My dad was too

I went to Kindergarten at Little Creek. :D

[evlbstrd]

13. I was too. Home of the Gator fleet.

I much preferred Little Creek to the Norfolk NS/NAS.

[jonnyblitz]

15. he is talking about the shipyard in Portsmouth NH, not

the one in Portsmouth, VA.

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Glad to hear it.

The SF Bay Area was really hit hard in the 80's and 90's when bases closed.

[Rising Phoenix]

14. saw that on the news, yeah!