Teddy's Conundrum: Hanscom to expand, Political base P.O.'s

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[Brainhose]

First off my sympathies go out to anyone affected by base closings
In the wake of to day's announcements by the Brak commission (I know its BRAC) that some bases
would be closed, there was also an announcement that Hanscom Air force base in Massachusetts would be expanded.
Here is Teddy's conundrum: Several years ago a small airline opened there.
The planes were very quiet (I took a couple of flights), the local flaming yuppy
liberals in Lexington in fear that their property values may drop were complaining that they were
"Worried about our beloved national heritage".
These are the same people who want to take down the Minute Man statue on Lexington common and
usually refer to the Founding Fathers as "evil white oppressors".
So, somehow Teddy must decide on how to handle this announcement.
How Does he crow about bringing more money into Mass. without pissing off his anti-military anti-business base?
His only other option is to say nothing.
Teddy must have Excedrin Headache #2005.

[Brainhose]

I am from the Region as well, I was Born and raised in Chelmsford and have always lived within 10 miles of the house I was born in, the news at the time was rife with yuppies decrying this small airline. How are they going to cope with the much hated military planes?
I know that not everyone around there feels that way, but an overwhelming majority does.
I ride the minuteman trail almost every weekend, and Bedford,Lexington and Arlington are full of Saabs and Volvos with Clinton/Gore 96 bumper stickers and addle-pated ding-dongs wearing "He's not my President" T-Shirts.

[ProudVet77]

Sadly the people that get the press tend to have this view. Remember when they tried to change to mascot of UMASS? They thought it sexist that it was a minutman (as opposed to a minutemaid) and that it extolled violence as he had the gun in his hands.
You have to admit there are some very strange people up here, with no memory, and very inconsistant views. How about the Joe Kennedy for President commercials that get run all winter, showing him saving little old ladies by giving them heating oil. Or the current brainwashing campaign by the Mass Teachers Association. Been here 20+ years and I have to say the people in MA just don't get it. They claim to be enviromentalists, but if Kennedy and Kerry don't not want to ruin the view from their mansions with wind generators it's OK with them. They claim to be open minded but rank 5th in the country in hate crimes.

[ProudVet77]

How Does he crow about bringing more money into Mass. without pissing off his anti-military anti-business base? His only other option is to say nothing.

Actually, within moments of the announcement he held a big press conference with all the little dwarfs from the MA congressional delegation. Francois Kerry wasn't to be seen, but the press conference was in MA, and Kerry usually avoids MA when he's not running for anything. Kennedy knows his anti-military base has no choice but to vote for him of little Joe next election.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The group that protested the small airline at Hanscom was a bunch of NIMBYs. How come they don't have the same problem with other amenities of modern life messing up the "national heritage" area, such as highway improvements, electric lights, and yuppie supermarkets?

In related news, I expect the price of residential real estate around Portsmouth, NH, to crash soon, as it did when Pease AFB closed.

[USAFJeeper]

I was stationed at HanSCUM AFB. I cannot believe they are increasing it. If anything it could be closed with little or no effect.

When I was stationed there in the 80s, the only plane there had a stick up its butt, AKA a static monument. THe rest of the base was contracting offices and research basically.