Pentagon Has Political Hit List, Lawmakers in Bay Area Suggest

Lawmakers in the San Francisco Bay area, reacting to reports that five naval installations were slated for closure in their districts, suggested Thursday that the Pentagon is putting together a political hit list aimed at supporters of deep defense spending cuts.

Defense sources said that California bases--ranging from the Long Beach Naval Shipyard to Treasure Island Naval Station in San Francisco to Ft. Ord--were on the list of closures Defense Secretary Dick Cheney is expected to announce on Monday.

Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) wrote the President on Thursday expressing his support for the Long Beach installation, and the staff of Rep. Glenn M. Anderson (D-San Pedro) said that the Long Beach Democrat was “prepared for the worst but hoping for the best.”

“We are hearing rumors, none of which we can substantiate,” Jeremiah Brenahan, Anderson’s aide, said. “Until we see it in print, all we can do is inform everyone to get ready to raise hell.”

However, some lawmakers already were beginning to raise Cain, while others said they were not worried about any prospective closures because the San Francisco area’s economy is so strong.

Reps. Vic Fazio and Robert T. Matsui, both Democrats from Sacramento, said they were not hearing any rumors regarding Sacramento-area installations.

Neither the Defense Department nor the individual facilities would confirm or deny any of Cheney’s proposals. Cheney, however, told Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) that he would begin telling members of Congress today about his plans.

For the San Francisco Bay area, these sorts of reports are nothing new. Lee Halterman, a spokesman for Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Berkeley), said San Francisco-area bases have been targeted for closure in the past as a “sort of punishment exercise” for area House members who have fought defense spending increases.

Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-Greenbrae) said she was worried “that Secretary Cheney’s proposed list has all of the earmarkings of an attempt to intimidate Congress not to cut the military budget, and I don’t think that is going to work.”

San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, who is in the nation’s capital for the National Conference of Mayors, said in a statement that the reported shutdowns would have “grave implications” for the regional economy.

Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) said: “This is a way of punishing all these people who want the peace dividend. What they (the Defense Department) are saying is, ‘Yeah, the Berlin Wall has come down, and now you’re going to pay for it with jobs in your area.’ ”