Lobbyists Needed

On Nov. 26, a letter from Gary Wollard, Camarillo, asked, “Why Lobbyists?”

While I appreciate the compliment he paid to me for representation of Ventura County concerning the naval bases at Point Mugu and Port Hueneme, I feel I must reply to some of his statements.

First, the county is not spending taxpayers’ money to hire lobbyists. All of the money comes from funds contributed to BRAC 95 (the Base Realignment and Closing Commission) Task Force, composed of business, agriculture, industry, retired military, labor, government, etc.; i.e., all of the interests in Ventura County concerned about the very real threat that one or both of them might be closed. I am a member of the Advisory Committee.

The lobbyists, real experts on the arcane processes of BRAC, and very knowledgeable about Ventura County, are technically on the county payroll for two reasons: (1) administrative purposes, and (2) the most important, to show solid community support.

In order to keep the bases off the closure list, or, worst case, to get them removed from a list, it is essential to prove solid community support that we believe the bases to be uniquely essential to our national defense, and that closure would be extremely and uniquely damaging to our economy.

Other communities are working and lobbying, spending far more money to support their--in some cases--competing bases (e.g., Eglin Air Force Base in Florida).

Elton Gallegly is, and has been, working hard. On the other side of the aisle, so is Sen. Feinstein.

But they need help, mainly, as I say, to show solid community support.

I, for one, think that we just cannot afford to leave any stones unturned.

We welcome all the help we can get both morally and financially from Mr. Wollard and all the citizens of Ventura County.

ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO

Ventura