U.S. base closing commissioners question cost savings ($14bln vs. $50bln)

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cost savings from the latest round of military base closings appear to be far less than the $50 billion estimated by the Pentagon, members of the commission with veto power over the actions said on Saturday.

The net savings to taxpayers over 20 years looks more like $14 billion because military jobs cut from the bases will be shifted to other locations or given new missions, Anthony Principi, chairman of the Base Realignment and Closing Commission, said at a Capitol Hill hearing.

The Pentagon estimated in May that the base closings and cutbacks would eliminate nearly 11,000 military jobs, but the military said it is not planning to make reductions in future military force levels.

"I'm still very skeptical, because I think at the end of the day, the bottom line shows that you have not saved any (military) dollars," Principi told Pentagon officials at a the hearing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050820/pl_nm/arms_bases_dc

[JanusAscending]

1. My Prediction!!

The BRAC commision will vote to close NONE OF THE BASES!!! Than Congress will have to "duke it out"!!:kick:

[Thor_MN]

2. It's a bullshit plan to move jobs to red states.

If you look at the numbers, blue states lose jobs while red states gain. I forget the exact figures, but I think Blue was minus 40K jobs while red was Plus 12K jobs. The "savings" is the differential, cutting 28K jobs, but the overall goal was to rewards red states and punish blue.

[wli]

3. exactly, the same sorts of things happen with prisons too n/t

[bahrbearian]

Maybe they can Redistrict the bases.

[bahrbearian]

4. Maybe they can Redistrict the bases.