Plans to Help State Recover From Base Closures Unveiled

In a show of bipartisan camaraderie, a group of California lawmakers Wednesday unveiled proposals to resuscitate the state’s economy in the face of another painful dose of military retrenchment.

The recommendations, which range from tax credits to bureaucratic streamlining, were developed by the delegation’s defense conversion task force over the last six months and have been sent to Rep. Ron Dellums (D-Oakland), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which will review the conversion issue.

Task force members conceded that the state faces daunting problems in retooling defense-dependent industries and coping with a diminishing military presence. The state has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs since 1990 and last week a federal base closing commission recommended that seven major military installations be shut down, eliminating 41,000 jobs.

Although the concept of defense conversion is widely embraced, the government is just beginning to consider how to accomplish it.

“Defense conversion has never been a reality,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) said. “There’s no there there.”

The proposals aired Wednesday broke no new ground. In general, the task force called for changes that simplify and accelerate the delivery of federal funds and encourage the reuse of closed bases.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who orchestrated the one-hour news conference, said that 23 federal agencies share responsibility for some part of the defense conversion process. Under one of the task force proposals, a clearinghouse would be set up so that communities and contractors could have “one-stop shopping” when seeking advice, permits or financial assistance.

Other proposals ask that federal conversion funds and tax credits be directed to communities and businesses that have been most hurt by shrinking defense budgets and base closure decisions. California has suffered more than 50% of all the personnel reductions in the three rounds of base closures since 1988.

Another recommendation aims at easing rules that require communities and businesses to match 50% of the funds available from federal grant programs.

The task force also urged the government to allow communities to buy closed military bases through installments rather than large single payments, and suggested that environmental cleanup procedures be standardized.

Fourteen House members joined the senators at the tax force’s announcement.