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Spartacus
Guest
Another lesson learned the hard way! Always be careful what you ask
for, you
just may get it!
One of the many headaches that George W. Bush inherited from his
predecessor
was the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques. In the waning years of the
Clinton
administration, protesters demanded that the U.S. Navy abandon bombing
and naval
gun fire exercises that had taken place on the largely uninhabited
island for
nearly seventy years. It became a leftist cause. Liberal icons bumped
into
one another to fly to Puerto Rico, boat over to the island, trespass
(but never
on a day that there was an exercise scheduled) and get noticed for the
benefit
of the New York Times or Newsweek. They included the Reverend Al
Sharpton,
Mrs.. Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, Robert F. Kennedy,Jr., Edward Olomos,
Michael
Moore and Ramsey Clark, just to name a few.
Hillary Clinton, then running for the U.S. Senate in New York,
chastised the
U.S. Navy for not bowing to the "will of the citizens of Puerto Rico",
until
her husband, a week before the election, issued an executive order to
phase out
the facility by 2003, despite pleas from his own Secretary of Defense
and the
Chief of Naval Operations.
In 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to an Air Force bombing
range
in central Florida, not far from the Jacksonville and Pensacola Naval
Air
Stations. In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico,
celebrating the final bombing exercise on Vieques and waved Puerto
Rican flags and
placards that read "U.S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico."
On February 21, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that the
U.S.
Navy will close the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in
2004,
eliminating 1200 civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions.
This naval facility is estimated to put nearly $300 million annually
into the
local economy. The next day a stunned Governor Sila Calderon, held a
news
conference in San Juan, protesting the base closure as a serious blow
to
Commonwealth's fragile economy. The governor stated that "The people of
Puerto Rico
don't now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing
range or
the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base. We are interested in both staying in
Puerto
Rico." When asked, the Commander-in Chief, Western Atlantic Command,
said,
"Without Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt
Roads. None."
So, Yanqui go home? Fine. But we'll take our dollars with us. Hasta
la
vista . . . baby!
On February 21, the Secretary of Defense also announced that starting
this
year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most if not all of
its
active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being
established
in Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to "better position
them
for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the world".
Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of
Hesse,
Rhineland and Wurttemburg, protested the loss of nearly $6 billion in
revenue each
year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A spokesman for the
Foreign
Ministry speculated that the move may be "what the Americans call
'payback'
for the actions of this government in opposing military action in
Iraq."
Whatever. Does anyone know the German translation for "Hasta la vista .
. .
baby?" (I think Auf Weidersehn, Adolf would cover it)
Ain't it nice to see a government with guts (and a good memory) !!!
for, you
just may get it!
One of the many headaches that George W. Bush inherited from his
predecessor
was the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques. In the waning years of the
Clinton
administration, protesters demanded that the U.S. Navy abandon bombing
and naval
gun fire exercises that had taken place on the largely uninhabited
island for
nearly seventy years. It became a leftist cause. Liberal icons bumped
into
one another to fly to Puerto Rico, boat over to the island, trespass
(but never
on a day that there was an exercise scheduled) and get noticed for the
benefit
of the New York Times or Newsweek. They included the Reverend Al
Sharpton,
Mrs.. Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, Robert F. Kennedy,Jr., Edward Olomos,
Michael
Moore and Ramsey Clark, just to name a few.
Hillary Clinton, then running for the U.S. Senate in New York,
chastised the
U.S. Navy for not bowing to the "will of the citizens of Puerto Rico",
until
her husband, a week before the election, issued an executive order to
phase out
the facility by 2003, despite pleas from his own Secretary of Defense
and the
Chief of Naval Operations.
In 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to an Air Force bombing
range
in central Florida, not far from the Jacksonville and Pensacola Naval
Air
Stations. In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico,
celebrating the final bombing exercise on Vieques and waved Puerto
Rican flags and
placards that read "U.S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico."
On February 21, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that the
U.S.
Navy will close the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in
2004,
eliminating 1200 civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions.
This naval facility is estimated to put nearly $300 million annually
into the
local economy. The next day a stunned Governor Sila Calderon, held a
news
conference in San Juan, protesting the base closure as a serious blow
to
Commonwealth's fragile economy. The governor stated that "The people of
Puerto Rico
don't now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing
range or
the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base. We are interested in both staying in
Puerto
Rico." When asked, the Commander-in Chief, Western Atlantic Command,
said,
"Without Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt
Roads. None."
So, Yanqui go home? Fine. But we'll take our dollars with us. Hasta
la
vista . . . baby!
On February 21, the Secretary of Defense also announced that starting
this
year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most if not all of
its
active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being
established
in Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to "better position
them
for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the world".
Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of
Hesse,
Rhineland and Wurttemburg, protested the loss of nearly $6 billion in
revenue each
year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A spokesman for the
Foreign
Ministry speculated that the move may be "what the Americans call
'payback'
for the actions of this government in opposing military action in
Iraq."
Whatever. Does anyone know the German translation for "Hasta la vista .
. .
baby?" (I think Auf Weidersehn, Adolf would cover it)
Ain't it nice to see a government with guts (and a good memory) !!!
