[JRandomFreeper]

reward them with an asset that's worth $1.7 billion for kicking us off that range that has cost American lives. That's just not going to happen," Inhofe said.

I have respect for WWII vet, Senator Inhofe, for his loss and sacrifice during the war. But where in the name of sweet Fannie Adams did he get that 1.7 billion number from? It's 8000 acres, and unless my calculator is wrong, that works out to be 2.125 Million per acre. Even with improvements, $48 sq/ft is pretty pricey for land that's been blown up more than Wiley E. Coyote, Esq.

/john

[xrp]

Senator Inhofe's birthdate is 11/17/1934 .

How did he serve in World War 2?

[hellinahandcart]

It's not the price of the real estate, it's what it will be worth after Puerto Rico turns it into a swanky beach resort.

[Salgak]

He's talking about the value of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, not the value of Vieques Range.

A fully-developed port with accompanying industrial base.. . .

[PAR35]

"Naval Station Roosevelt Roads has an 11,000-foot runway, nine piers, a water treatment plant, four sewage treatment plants, 110 miles of road, miles of oceanfront, 1,340 buildings and approximately 194,000 square miles of ocean for naval exercises. "

It would probably cost a billion just to prepare the environmental impact statements if you wanted to replicate improvements.

[tlb]

Good analysis but I believe they are looking at the improved potential value for the land after the resort hotels are built on the sites. Not knowing the cost of a proper cleanup of the ordinance I don't know if this is truely economic reality or not.

I don't recall if it was ever proven but it had been alleged during the controversey that land speculators and developers were the finaincial force behind the politicians and demonstrators.

[nightdriver]

"It's 8000 acres, and unless my calculator is wrong, that works out to be 2.125 Million per acre."

Please forgive me for the nit-pick, but $1.7 billion divided by 8000 yields $212,500 per acre on my calculator. That makes it about $5.13 per square foot which is still on the high side.

[4Freedom]

"It's 8000 acres, and unless my calculator is wrong, that works out to be 2.125 Million per acre. Even with improvements, $48 sq/ft is pretty pricey for land that's been blown up more than Wiley E. Coyote, Esq."

It's obvious you haven't been there and haven't seen it.

The island of Vieques is 21-miles-long. Only a tiny corner of it was ever bombed. The bombing never took place any closer than 16 miles from the nearest residents of Vieques.

The beaches on the Naval base are absolutely pristine. There are approximately 32 miles of waterfront on the U.S. Taxpayer's property on that side of the island.

The U.S. Taxpayers used to own and control a couple miles of the other end of the island, too.

If you don't know the value of that property in U.S. territorial waters, you shouldn't be speaking out-of-turn.

"I have respect for WWII vet, Senator Inhofe, for his loss and sacrifice during the war. But where in the name of sweet Fannie Adams did he get that 1.7 billion number from?"

You should have respect for Senator Inhofe. He knows a hell of a lot more about what he's talking about than, apparently, you do.

Where did you get the impression that the U.S. Taxpayer owned land on Vieques has "been blown up more than Wiley E. Coyote, Esq.?"

Do you have any idea of what the U.S. Taxpayers have spent on the infrastructure on the island of Vieques?

$1.7 billion is an extremely conservative estimate of that property's value.

Do you have any idea of the value of the 11,000 acres and existing U.S. Taxpayer bought and paid for infrastructure on the Naval base at Roosevelt Roads, P.R.?

Were you aware that Congress ordered that property auctioned off and the proceeds of the sale given to the U.S. Taxpayers?

Were you aware that Bush allowed the whole base to be given away for free to the ingrates in Puerto Rico, in one of his recent defense appropriations bills, instead?

Were you aware that the greedy, ingrates on Puerto Rico estimate that the taxes and fees that they will be able to charge federal government agencies and the private sector for the use of that property amount to $4.5 BILLION every year?

Yeah, the greedy, ungrateful, residents of Puerto Rico are crying alright.

All the way to the bank with our money!

'We are the World's eternal suckers' (insert music, please) thanks to our pandering politicians from both parties.

LOL!