THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503030150
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Reed
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Finally, common sense has prevailed in government.
That's the somewhat sad assessment of the Pentagon's decision last week to spare Oceana Naval Air Station from closure.
It was made by a guy who has operated behind the scenes for a year trying to persuade Washington bigwigs to do just what they did.
The news from the nation's capital seemed almost too good to be true, because the Beltway brass hats even recommended expanding the Oceana complement by a third by adding squadrons of F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets.
The behind-the-scenes guy, whom we'll call Deep Tonsils - or DT for short - observed that the Pentagon decision was a wiser, if not thriftier, thing for the federal government to do than, say, shifting all Oceana operations to Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station near Havelock, N.C.
``My thing is, I think it's good for the American taxpayer and I know it's good for the Navy,'' said DT, an old salt who's had a few combat ribbons pinned to his now mothballed Navy uniform.
First, he pointed out, Oceana is square in the middle of Virginia Beach, which is equipped to handle, house and educate the influx of military dependents that would result from the expansion of Oceana. Havelock, N.C., is not. Oceana itself is equipped to handle the expansion, or can be with minimal cash outlay. Cherry Point is not.
The difference in cost alone for making a move to Cherry Point would be in the $400 million to $500 million range - maybe more.
As the late U.S. Sen. Everett M. Dirksen of Illinois liked to point out during Congressional budget deliberations, immoderate spending eventually catches up with you. ``A million dollars here and a million dollars there and pretty soon you're talking real money,'' he was fond of saying.
Local politicos, Navy officials and business owners have offered heartfelt thanks for the plan to spare Oceana. Taxpayers, should anyone bother to ask 'em, probably would, too. After all, they're the ones who would have to cough up the bucks to pay for closing Oceana and expanding Cherry Point.
But, lest we start celebrating too soon, DT reminds us that North Carolina can be expected to regroup and mount a strong challenge to the Pentagon recommendation.
``North Carolina is now going to start slinging mud at us,'' said DT, who is certain that Virginia Beach can expect some Tarheel hardball in future base closure and realignment deliberations. ``They weren't very well organized this time and may use Lake Gaston (the city's long sought water source) and everything else against us.''
Wire stories out of North Carolina contain ominous rumblings to that effect.
Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. on Wednesday said his state will fight vigorously to reverse the decision to divert Navy jets to Oceana.
``Cherry Point was the best place for the F/A-18 squadrons in 1993 and still is,'' he grumbled.
Sen. Jesse Helms, the guy who almost single-handedly has kept Virginia Beach from using Lake Gaston as its water source, says he'll happily join Hunt in those efforts.
And Jesse, as everybody south of the Mason-Dixon Line knows, casts a biiig shadow in the Republican dominated Congress.
It's a sure bet that right after he rids the military of gays, his next highest priority will be seeing to it that North Carolinians get their fair share of national defense goodies. And why not? That's his job.
To avoid any future Helms haymakers, DT suggests that Virginians, especially those who are Oceana backers, keep their dukes up and keep circling. by CNB