WASHINGTON — Two major Massachusetts military installations that had been threatened with closure or cutbacks have been spared as part of legislation hailed by Bay State leaders as a victory in their struggle to retain defense-related jobs.
But the Pentagon, which proposed changes last year for transportation and intelligence units in Chicopee and on Cape Cod, has expressed frustration with Congress’s insistence on blocking some of its plans to reduce what it considers wasteful or unnecessary force structure across the country.
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Gosh awmighty... Worcester's own Teensey Timmy Murray the erstwhile commander of the Masschusetts National Guard? Tell, pray, how did this driving genius, politically astoot Democrat ever climb up the military ladder? Another of Deeval's predawn decisions, betcha..
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You don't hear "liberals" or "conservatives" leaping to save money by closing military bases in their home states, Mass. included. Therein lies a big part of our problem. We don't want to close. We don't want to pay. We don't want to cut. The entire country public included is like children in a candy store without money. Give it to me. Then the public tries to decide who should suffer for their own irresponsibility. This isn't "conservative" or "liberal" it simly who and what America is.
it's simple CUT 50% in every state AND Overseas!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That sounds fair, but unfortunately military facilities aren't evenly distributed. Some states have cornered the market; some states have nothing of significance (maybe a few recruiting offices).
Thank God our bases were saved, we all know they were mission critical. Now, insofar as all of those out of state bases, rife with over expenditure, fraud, waist and abuse, let the ax fall.
i am sure that Senator Kerry played a major part in insuring that bases stay open in Massachusetts.
Military mystery: How many bases does the US have, anyway?
By
Gloria Shur Bilchik
Published: January 24, 2011Posted in: International, WarTags: 2010 Base Structure Report, US military bases
"In the grand scheme of things, the actual numbers aren’t all that important. Whether the most accurate total is 900 bases, 1,000 bases or 1,100 posts in foreign lands, what’s undeniable is that the US military maintains…an empire of bases so large and shadowy that no one – not even at the Pentagon – really knows its full size and scope…An honest count of US bases abroad – a true, full and comprehensive list – would be a tiny first step in the necessary process of downsizing the global mission."
COMMENT: Another US black hole of needless waste and empire building on the backs of US taxpayers. This where your money goes, folks. This is just one gigantic example of a government gone haywire. And Congress worries about entitlements. Get rid of needless bases and bring the money back home. Read the whole article.
I'm not sure anyone on the Globe forums is qualified to judge what bases or equipment the military needs. You'd have to be an expert on strategic planning for innumerable scenarios, and much of the necessary information is classified. We have military people and their civilian overseers at the Defense Department to do that heavy lifting.
That's why it's silly for Congressmen, Senators and Governors to pretend that they know what facilities and operations should be kept open or shut down. Of course, these politicos are only concerned with pandering to their constituents, not military preparedness.
Military bases should be phased out gradually so as to minimize the economic effects where they're located, but it's not in the national interest to be wasting money on unneeded and/or inefficient military operations.
This is the kind of thing that makes cutting the deficit so difficult. Other than entitlements, the military is the largest item in the budget. It wasn't but a couple of years ago that Massachusetts politicos were trying to force the purchase of jet engines from General Electric that the military didn't need or want.