Puerto Rico governor says U.S. shouldn't close Vieques base

AP | 1/16/03 | RICARDO ZUNIGA

[kattracks]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico's government hopes the U.S. Navy won't close its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on Vieques Island after it halts bombing exercises there in May, the U.S. territory's governor said.

Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open. With some 4,800 employees and temporary contractors, Roosevelt Roads is one of Puerto Rico's largest employers.

"The people of Puerto Rico don't have any interest in the closing of the Roosevelt Roads base," Calderon said. "The government of Puerto Rico is interested in that base staying in Puerto Rico, for all the economic benefits."

The Navy says training now under way is the last scheduled on Vieques. It will abandon its firing range there by May 1, turning over the island's eastern third to the U.S. Department of the Interior to become a wildlife refuge.

The United States stopped all live-fire training in Vieques in 1999 after a guard was accidentally killed. It has used non-explosive bombs and shells since then.

Once the Navy leaves Vieques, all operations at Roosevelt Roads associated with Vieques will be discontinued, Navy officials have said. Adm. Robert Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, went further last week, saying: "Without Vieques there is no way I need the Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads -- none."

Other Navy officials said any decision about closing the base in eastern Puerto Rico would have to be made by an independent commission that has yet to begin its work.

The Navy estimates the base injects some $300 million each year into the Caribbean island's economy.

Training continued Thursday with two U.S. warships firing inert shells at the island. The USS Arleigh Burke and USS Cape St. George participated in the training, said Lt. Cmdr. Kim Dixon, a spokeswoman.

President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the base built in 1940, and it was used for World War II naval operations.

The Navy has trained on Vieques since 1947. Opponents say the exercises have damaged the environment and the health of the island's 9,100 residents, but the Navy denies the accusations.

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[VaBthang4]

LOL!!!

Reaping what is sowed.

[wideawake]

Bwahahahahaha!!!

[boomop1]

Tough sh** Sila, the USA needs to cut the rope and let this hate America territory float away.

[foolish-one]

Too damn bad. They want us off their island but they want us to keep sending them money? If they get their way, who's the sucker?

[jammer]

"The people of Puerto Rico don't have any interest in the closing of the Roosevelt Roads base," Calderon said. "The government of Puerto Rico is interested in that base staying in Puerto Rico, for all the economic benefits."

What a hoot! Welfare recipients don't have any interest in working, but they want money!
We 14 handicappers don't have any interest in practicing or talent, but we want to play the tour.
We amateurs don't have any interest in practicing, but we want to play Mozart like Alicia de la Rocha.
Some airlines don't care about customer service, but they want passengers.
Guess Calderon doesn't understand the meaning of quid pro quo

[Southack]

"Puerto Rico's government hopes the U.S. Navy won't close its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on Vieques Island after it halts bombing exercises there in May, the U.S. territory's governor said. Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open. With some 4,800 employees and temporary contractors, Roosevelt Roads is one of Puerto Rico's largest employers."

You should have thought of all of those jobs back when you were siding with the protestors against our using that base for naval practice.

No naval practice means no need for a naval base there, genius...

[pa_dweller]

Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open.

So how about we stop the training and just keep the people on the payroll and they can sit around and drink coffee and play cards all day?

Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

[sam_paine]

Puerto Rico is interested in that base staying in Puerto Rico, for all the economic benefits.

Tough crap. Do a cost-benefit analysis now, you enviro-commie!!! What's worse, the Dept of the Interior nazis are gonna take it over, and NOBODY will be able to go there.

[Let's Roll]

You see, Sila, this is how it works. We want something from you, i.e. in this case, using Vieques for fire excercises. In exchange for that, we pump many Yankee dollars into your otherwise non-existent economy.

This is a well known process sometimes known as "we'll scratch your back, quid pro quo" etc. If we simply hand over money for nothing that would be welfare and I know you would never allow that.

[PhiKapMom]

ROFLOL!!! Figured this was going to happen. He gets what he wants and doesn't like it!

[pennboricua]

Unfortunely there are idiots all over the place, at times I
feel that the welfare state set up for Puerto Rico, took so much from us.
Like our ability to stand for something.
As a Puerto Rican I have a deep resentment not only of my compatriots behabing in this manner, but it is similar to behavior expressed by other people supported and protected by the United States who will the turn around spit on the United States while demanding that the dollars don't stop.

[Procyon]

PR could always rent out the base to some other superpower. Oh, I forgot, we're the only superpower now!

[McGavin999]

Once the Navy leaves Vieques, all operations at Roosevelt Roads associated with Vieques will be discontinued, Navy officials have said. Adm. Robert Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, went further last week, saying: "Without Vieques there is no way I need the Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads -- none."

What? Didn't Al Sharpton and the other liberals explain to the people of PR that there would be no need for a base once the training grounds were closed? Why would we need one. We can save that $300 million or give it to the next island who agrees to host a trainging range.

[Karsus]

We will just make up their 'loss' by increasing the amount of aid/welfare we send them. In the end the US taxpayer will not be better off.

[x1stcav]

Why do I feel a warm feeling of amusement after reading your post? Payback's a MF'er.

Of course with the ascension of Hildebeast to the Armed Services committee, and her interest in PR nationalists, it may not be so easy for the Navy to tell them eat sh*t.

[Earl B.]

She's kidding, right? Stop your live-fire exercises, but keep pumping millions of dollars into our economy?

What do you bet the (brighter) government of some small, poor island nearby calls the Pentagon pronto and offers up their island as a bombing range (if the jobs come along with it)?

[Earl B.]

"I bet those Puerto Ricans never saw it comin'."

[kattracks]

If this were the case, the governor wouldn't be so worried.