North Alabama needs $1.8 billion for BRAC
Patrick O’Brien, director of the Office of Economic Adjustment for the Defense Department, told a group of local Chamber of Commerce members visiting Washington last week that the federal government needs to provide much more money to communities gaining commands through a 2005 decision of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
O’Brien said he’s working with almost two dozen “growth locations” such as Redstone Arsenal, and he hears the same concerns from all of them.
They need money for roads. They need money for new schools. They need money to expand their sewer and water systems.
O’Brien said north Alabama alone will have $1.8 billion in unfunded needs for the next several years due to the 4,700 federal jobs plus more than 5,000 contractor jobs on their way per relocation of seven military commands.
OK, let’s say a private employer planned on locating in a city and would employ up to 10,000 people. Who should pay for the infrastructure upgrades such as roads, schools, and sewers? The city? The state? The federal government? The business?
It is certainly expected that the city would be forking out some money and it seems customary for the state to provide funds as well. But would either the federal government or the employer be expected to pay for schools and sewers? I’m just asking because I personally haven’t noticed where either the federal government or the employer typically pay for such things, so why should that be expected when the federal government happens to be the employer?
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Brian, Brian, Brian… Do we really need silly things like “reasons” for pork? Haven’t you heard that money grows on trees these days? They’re actually burning piles of cash for heat these days at the John Murtha International Airport in Johnstown, PA.
Does sound like there’s an element of “getting while the gettings good” going on.
Some maybe justified, if the Army will tie into the city sewage plant, it should pay for the needed piping and plant expansion, roads in and out of the base probably need work so’s the troops can get in and out, maybe some runway lengthening, apron work at the airport, buffer zones and other things I’m missing.
however, no reason the city/county can float bonds using the increased sales tax revenue from the newbies to fund their other projects/problems. In lieu funding for the dependents could be used to expand/build new schools, etc.