2 Congressmen, Cranston Join Shipyard Rally

Holding up blue and white “Save Our Shipyard” T-shirts as they stood in front of the entrance to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, three members of California’s congressional delegation Tuesday decried proposals to close the facility as part of the Bush Administration’s effort to pare down the defense budget.

Reps. Glenn M. Anderson (D-Harbor City) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Lomita) joined Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) in a meeting with city and union officials at the 4,100-worker shipyard, one of about 100 military installations around the country targeted for possible closing.

As workers clustered nearby, Cranston said at a news conference that he was “convinced there’s a very, very strong case for keeping this shipyard open. It makes a profit, unlike most other shipyards. It is equipped to do work that no other nearby shipyard can do.”

Spelling out their arguments to save the 47-year-old yard, the three members of Congress all stressed the same point, that recent efficiency drives at the Long Beach shipyard have made it one of the most cost effective in the nation and therefore an illogical choice for closing.

“I don’t understand what rational process would lead Long Beach to be on this list,” Cranston declared, suggesting that the Defense Department’s hit list was politically motivated and exacts the greatest toll on Democratic districts.

Cranston said he favors the appointment of an independent commission to recommend defense installation cuts to Congress.

Republican Rohrabacher, navigating partisan waters, quickly pointed out that he too represents areas that would be hurt by the shipyard closing. He also defended the Bush Administration’s budget slashing plans in an era of radical change worldwide.

“I certainly support the President’s decision to look into this base and all the other bases,” Rohrabacher said. He nonetheless contended that such an evaluation “will determine that this base should not only stay open, but this base is a major asset to a strong Navy and a strong United States of America.”

Shipyard supporters frequently refer to Navy statistics showing that last year the Long Beach yard performed its overhaul and repair jobs for $20 million below projected cost, whereas some other shipyards slated to stay open racked up cost overruns of more than $30 million each.

“The thought of closing the Long Beach Naval Shipyard is just a shocker because of the fact that we do good work and we save money,” said Anderson, one of several members of the state’s congressional delegation who met last week with Secretary of the Navy H. Lawrence Garrett III to discuss the shipyard’s profitability. The comparatively small shipyard has been threatened with closure before. Its civilian work force--well aware of that history--has vaulted into action, writing letters to Congress, demonstrating and planning trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby for their jobs.

“We’re just going to keep fighting and let people know we are a profitable yard and we are not going to close,” said Archie Barksdale, an official with the pipefitters’ union.