THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, July 10, 1995                  TAG: 9507100063
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                         LENGTH: Short :   47 lines

BASE CLOSINGS LIKELY TO BE OK'D WITH ASSURANCE OF SAVED JOBS

President Clinton is expected to approve the recommendations of an independent commission on military base closings after the head of the panel assured the Defense Department in writing that thousands of jobs in California and Texas can be turned over to the private sector, a White House source said Sunday.

A weekend letter from Alan J. Dixon, the former Illinois Democratic senator who heads the bipartisan commission, to Deputy Defense Secretary John P. White, apparently closes the circle of an intricate maneuver the White House has been working on for weeks in an effort to allow Clinton to adopt the base-closing report without unnecessarily alienating California politicians and voters.

The state's 54 Electoral College votes are considered crucial to his re-election hopes next year.

Dixon has said repeatedly that it is his opinion the commission report itself clearly gives the Pentagon authority to privatize some of the 11,000 military and civilian jobs that would be lost by closing McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento, as well as some of the 20,000 jobs threatened by the closure of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.

While emphasizing that Clinton has not made a final decision, the White House official - who discussed the matter on condition of not being identified by name - said the president's aides are recommending that he accept the commission report and believe he will do so.

Dixon was quoted by The Washington Post as saying his letter to White ``simply confirms in writing'' what the commission report already says.

The Post quoted White, however, as saying the letter was ``very helpful'' because ``it clarifies a point that was not clear.''

Clinton has until Saturday to decide whether to accept the report in full and send it on to Congress, or to reject it.

White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry said Sunday the president wants to see information he got from Pentagon officials during a 90-minute meeting Saturday before making a final decision.

KEYWORDS: BASE CLOSINGS MILITARY BASE by CNB