The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Gov. Bob McDonnell isn’t content to simply fight to keep Norfolk’s Joint Forces Command operational - he also wants to relocate military facilities to the state when possible.
Protecting and growing Virginia military assets are among the goals of a new commission McDonnell established through an executive order that was announced Monday afternoon following news that Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to eliminate JFCOM as part of a series of Pentagon savings strategies.
For McDonnell, creating a panel to keep and attract military operations is motivated by the importance of defense dollars to Virginia’s economy, as well as his concerns for security.
“The people of Virginia are acutely aware of the integral role military and national security facilities play in the economic vitality of the commonwealth,” the governor’s executive order states. “The estimated $56 billion the Department of Defense alone is projected to spend in the commonwealth in 2010 translates to business for Virginia and high-quality jobs for our citizens.”
The nascent Commission on Military and National Security Facilities evolved out of February discussions between the governor and members of Virginia’s congressional delegation, and as a response to recent word out of the Pentagon about the JFCOM proposal, according to a statement from the McDonnell administration.
State Commerce and Trade Secretary Jim Cheng and former delegate Terrie Suit, assistant to the governor for commonwealth preparedness, will serve on the commission. Both have ties to Virginia Beach, one of the state’s key military communities. Initially, 25 members including “retired military, political, business and community leaders dedicated to advancing Virginia’s contributions to national defense and security” will be appointed to the group, according to the executive order.
The commission is expected to deliver quarterly reports to the governor, according to McDonnell’s executive order, which remains in effect until January 2014.
Julian Walker, 804-697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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Haven;t we heard this all before
And it didn't save Ft Monroe, or NARF....typical political smoke screen
My idea for a blue ribbon panel....
Start looking to retain and attract non-military industry. We talk about light rail and tunnels one week and losing our industrial core the next. Having a military economy has helped us in this recession. Now everybody wants some of the action. When we put all our focus on the parts, the whole suffers. May this be our warning shot and put new thought leaders in place. BTW, where was Suffolk's mayor yesterday. Fraim grandstanding, or Johnson asleep at the wheel?
One loyal and true, red, white, and blue Virginia Democrat
As a proud and loyal Virginia Democrat, I am both pleased and honored that the Obama administration has chosen to rightly punish the citizens of Hampton Roads for helping to elect a Republican governor. We all know that Hampton Roads is a military town. We all know the military traditionally votes conservative. We loyal liberal Democrats need to remove this influence. We need to destroy Hampton Road's economic link to the military and drive the military completely out. Who needs jobs? We've got Obama!
Knee Jerk Reaction
A New panel? yet millions more in studies, salaries, consultants, lobbyist, etc to do something that could have been proactively prevented had he been involved in the Military industry as most of his republican predecessors were. Can this guy get any worse? wasn't he ex military? If so he should understand the military is not a hands off industry, too many states want that industry. I guess one might say this was a shipwreck :)
Throw VA a life Vest....McDonnell is sinking this ship
Virginia Has Lost Clout
Without John Warner, Owen Pickett, Norman Sisisky, Chuck Robb, and Herb Bateman, Virginia has lost the political muscle needed to get it's share of the military pie. Now Virginia has no clout to keep the carriers and bases.
insightful comment
Well put, Swampi.
Perhaps it is the modern zeitgeist, but it seems political party trumps locality in almost every legislative move today.
Warner, Pickett, Sisisky, and Bateman served HR extremely well. They were moderates that considered their districts/state ahead of their parties. They were superior statesmen, indeed, and are sorely missed today.
I see your point
I think you're right on the money when you mentioned us loosing our military clout. Times change....the Ford plant left, the paper mill closed, many other large business left as well. I grew up here and find it amazing how resilient this area has become to such devastating losses. Years ago any of those losses might have collapsed our economy. Luckily, a new business springs up almost daily here, especially in Greenbrier and south of there. It's great to see our area sustain so many military losses too. They played an enormous roll in putting Hampton Roads on the map and we're grateful.
The word is lose ...
"losing our military clout" ... not "loosing our military clout" .... and "an enormous roll" sounds like a big bisquit.
And,
a big "bisquit" sounds like something unknown just stopped working. What is a "bis", anyway?
One who corrects others must be able to take correction, wouldn't you say?
Repeal The Radar Detector Ban
Radar detector bans do not work. Research and experience show that radar detector bans do not result in lower accident rates, improved speed-limit compliance or reduce auto insurance expenditures.
• The Virginia radar detector ban is difficult and expensive to enforce. The Virginia ban diverts precious law enforcement resources from more important duties.
• Radar detectors are legal in the rest of the nation, in all 49 other states. In fact, the first state to test a radar detector ban, Connecticut, repealed the law – it ruled the law was ineffective and unfair. It is time for our Virginia to join the rest of the nation.
• It has never been shown that radar detectors cause accidents or even encourage motorists to drive faster than they would otherwise. The Yankelovich – Clancy – Shulman Radar Detector Study conducted in 1987, showed that radar detector users drove an average of 34% further between accidents (233,933 miles versus 174,554 miles) than non radar detector users. The study also showed that they have much higher seat belt use compliance. If drivers with radar detectors have fewer accidents, it follows that they have reduced insurance costs – it is count