Say Anything Blog

Rob: To the contrary, I don’t chime in on matters I know nothing about.

The problem with Joshua’s post is that he attempts to make a connection with the weapons depot in CA and the AFBs in ND.  It’s comparing apples and oranges.

The fact is not all military bases/facilities are equal or interchangeable.  The particular facility in CA is a WWII-era weapons depot that has long outlived its usefulness and could easily have its functions consolidated elsewhere.  The jobs that are there are largely DPW functions.

The bases in ND are a completely different matter.

That doesn’t stop you from chiming in about things you don’t know anything about.

And, really, what is it here that Josh is wrong about?  He is essentially agreeing with the community in California.  I agree with him.  If developing the property the base sits on has a more positive economic impact than the jobs created by the base itself...why not push for the base being closed?  Seems like a win-win situation all the way around.  The military gets to close a base without a lot of hassle from the community and the community gets to develop new property.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

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Really, Josh, this is yet another instance why you shouldn’t opine on matters you know nothing about.

I say give’em what they want… almost.

One week they see the trucks rolling out with military equipment.

The next week they see trucks rolling in hauling refinery equipment.

When their finished there point them in the direction of ND.

JG spit out, Rob: To the contrary, I don’t chime in on matters I know nothing about.

Hahaha!  That’s a good one.  Keep talking JG, someday you’ll say something intelligent.

These deals always seem to wind up with somebodies friend getting a great deal on discount real estate.

I’m not saying that these conversions won’t happen, however, it’s just that the developers will be lucky to make a profit.

WOOF - I used to think that too, but most developers don’t want to touch most military bases.  In Charleston, for example, former base land still sits mostly undeveloped even though the Naval base was closed 10 years ago.

The problem is that older bases (especially those before the military became environmentally conscience) are brown-field nightmares.  The only thing that usually replaces them is heavy industry which the nearby residents don’t want… so we get a stalemate.

The problem with Joshua’s post is that he attempts to make a connection with the weapons depot in CA and the AFBs in ND. It’s comparing apples and oranges.

Actually, no he wasn’t.  He was pointing out the irony of some communities pushing to have their military bases closed while others are fighting to keep them open.  He made no commentary on the relative missions of each base.

You really need to stop with these knee-jerk reactions.  I know you’re angry because Josh called you on some B.S. in an earlier post about military service.  There’s no reason to be angry at him because he is truthfully serving his country while you only lie about it.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

JFH: the Naval base was closed 10 years ago”

And it should be a good candidate for the “bases as refineries” idea floated by Bush.

But it may be the only one. The Long Beach naval shipyard has been converted to a container port. All the rest aren’t near the ocean, a requirement for the supply of crude oil.

Bush’s idea sounds good, but unfortunately is unworkable I believe.

Clue to JFH: The base is in Charleston. South Carolina. Dixie. Yahoo Central.  Bob Jones U.  Snakehandling on Sunday.

It’s that rare southern state that can’t even atone for its abysmal university system with a decent college football program.

Heh, Jadegold tries and fails to get my goat, meanwhile, I am, or at least my wife is, laughing all the way to the bank… I’m sure JG knows (’cus he knows EVERYTHING) that Bob Jones U. is much closer to Charlotte, than Charleston, not that that proximity has anything to do with either city’s economy or for that matter even Greenville’s.

marc - while a refinery makes logical sense (port city, good rail and highway system to support a venture), It’s container traffic that will likely fill the void.  Again the problem is that the local residents don’t want industry though that’s the only sector that can afford to take on the brown field.