Group Raises $40,000 to Rescue Navy Base
A local task force of Point Mugu supporters has raised nearly $40,000 in the 10 days since the Navy base was added to the Pentagon’s base closure list.
A fund-raising rally Thursday night brought in nearly $19,000--a combination of government contributions, corporate gifts and small donations from the 200 people in attendance.
“This puts us very, very close to the initial $50,000 that we needed,” said Rosanne Carranza, fund-raising chairwoman of the BRAC ’95 Task Force.
The group sought a quick infusion of cash to help pay lobbyists and plot defensive strategy for Point Mugu, which was targeted for closure by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission on May 10.
Up until that point, the task force had raised $243,000 for its lobbying efforts to protect local Navy bases during this base closure round. Now the group hopes to reach its original $350,000 goal, so supporters can mount an aggressive campaign to save Point Mugu and its 9,000 jobs.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider giving $6,000 to the group in addition to its original contribution of $10,000, staff time and office space. The task force has solicited another round of donations from local cities.
“It’s coming pretty fast, so it shows good community support,” said Supervisor John K. Flynn, a task force member.
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