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Navy Announces Puerto Rico Base Cutbacks
E.F.L.The U.S. Navy announced drastic cutbacks at its sprawling base in Puerto Rico on Thursday, saying half the employees will not be needed when it ends bombing exercises on nearby Vieques island. More than 2,300 employees at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, including military and civilians, will be transferred elsewhere or lose their jobs, said Lt. Scott McIlnay, a spokesman for the Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Va. The base, which has about 4,800 employees, is one of the largest employers in Puerto Rico and injects an estimated $300 million into the economy each year. Military officials say they have less use for Roosevelt Roads, which administered the bombing range from the main island. "The base's primary function was the training at Vieques," McIlnay said. "We need to put our resources where our training is, and our training is moving." Say goodbye to your job base. The Navy plans to withdraw from Vieques by May 1, turning over the island's eastern third to the U.S. Department of the Interior and moving training to spots in Florida and elsewhere on the U.S. mainland. Turn the range into a wildlife preserve, that'll fix those greedy developers who wanted the military out so they could build hotels and condos. Greenpeace will be happy. Puerto Rico's government has applauded the end of the bombing exercises but urged the Navy not to close the base, saying it is vital economically to the island, where unemployment stands at 12 percent. Tough Puerto Rican Sen. Kenneth McClintock said Thursday's announcement "means the virtual closure" of the base. An opposition legislator, he blamed Gov. Sila Calderon's pursuit of an end to the bombing exercises. Time to pay the piper, Sila. Posted by: Steve 2003-04-11 |
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