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consider why few want to end any wars.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Dear Friends,
We have known for years the military in Arizona is important to our state’s culture and economy – and that importance is only growing.
Just this week, we unveiled a new study on the economic impact of Arizona’s military installations that found their contribution to our economy is more than $9 billion a year.
The $9 billion figure includes the military facilities themselves as well as the businesses they support, including the shops and firms that provide services to military personnel and their families. In all, some 96,000 jobs are created and supported by our military installations.
The first such study, completed six years ago, gave a glimpse into the economic contributions of the military in Arizona, and found the total economic impact was nearly $5.7 billion. The fact that economic output increased by 60 percent in a five-year period shows the military is an increasingly viable and important part of the Arizona economy.
It’s a part of the economy that we were able to protect through our aggressive action during the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee process in 2005. During that time, we addressed many different factors that may have endangered the continued effectiveness of our military facilities. This included creating the Governor’s Military Affairs Commission to work closely with the federal government on military issues, making sure that growing communities did not “encroach” upon installations, and even working with the military on changing training flight patterns.
All this work let us preserve the military presence in Arizona – a presence that is especially important as we continue our work to build the future Arizona economy.
Please join me in thanking our military personnel for their hard work and contributions to our nation and our state. As usual, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call my office at (602) 542-1318 or visit www.azgovernor.gov for news in state government.
Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano Governor
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