Posted on 04/10/2005 9:01:10 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
HOUSTON (AP) - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is urging the Department of Homeland Security to locate a regional office at Ellington Field - a move the facility's supporters believe could save it from the next round of military base closures.
Ellington Field, which opened in 1917, is home of the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter Wing, the Coast Guard Air Station Houston and the Texas Army National Guard.
In a recent letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, DeLay asked that one of the department's nine planned regional offices be located at Ellington, Houston's only military defense installation.
"In my efforts to support Ellington, I want to make sure that everything is being done to increase its value to our homeland security mission while enhancing its ability to protect the Texas Gulf Coast region," DeLay, R-Sugar Land, said in his letter.
Adding the Department of Homeland Security to the mix at Ellington would "ensure our region's assets, including NASA, the refineries, the Port of Houston and other critical industries in the area, are sufficiently protected," DeLay said.
Kathryn Black Morrow, a researcher who has written about Ellington's history, called the idea to locate the regional office at Ellington "economically brilliant."
"They wouldn't have to worry so much about a huge, new place to secure, the runways are already there. It's just natural," she said. "It would really be a politically smart thing to do."
Marie McDermott, chairwoman of the Ellington Field Task Force, a coalition of residents and businesses, said DeLay promoted the idea of a regional homeland security office for Ellington with Chertoff's predecessor, Tom Ridge.
"I think it's nice that Congressman DeLay's not missing a beat and is immediately putting our wishes on the table with the new homeland security secretary," McDermott said.
DeLay's request is the latest effort to try and save the historic field.
Shelia, it's down the road from NASA!!!!
Nope! DeLay's idea exhibits too much reason, logic and common sense. Therefore, it's doomed from the get go !!! ;-))
LoL! Doesn't that seem to be the way things go? It makes too much sense to strengthen the eastern seaboard and utilize existing structure, saving money. Shiney new buildings costing billions in unforeseen blunders seem to be the preferred method.
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