We commend Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and the 15-member commission that he assembled in 2003, along with our congressional delegation and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation for their collective efforts in building a case for the integral role Rhode Island’s defense industry plays in our overall economy.
The report the commission put together last year – and the subsequent lobbying efforts on the part of our elected officials – apparently paid dividends with regard to the Department of Defense’s most recent BRAC (base realignment and closures) initiative.
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Not only has Rhode Island staved off base closures, it appears that Newport and Quonset could see a net gain of nearly 600 jobs as a result of the 2005 BRAC.
The defense industry is indeed critically important to the Rhode Island economy. It employs 15,700 people and has a payroll of nearly $900 million. And for every $100 spent on defense here, there is $70 in spin-off activity. For example, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport has more than 1,500 contracts with vendors in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The governor was wise to make the 2005 BRAC a priority issue well in advance of the anticipated base closings (this coming November).
We think that it would be equally prudent to keep this a priority issue. It is worth noting that the Pentagon’s BRAC recommendations are subject to change. An independent commission reviewing the recommended base closings has already leveled criticism at portions of the report.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has suggested that the Pentagon’s recommendations not be significantly altered. But until President Bush signs off on them this September, officials here need to be diligent.
