Gov. John Baldacci plans to make his pitch for the preservation of Maine’s bases Thursday with Anthony Principi, the chairman of the base realignment and closure commission.
“The governor is very involved with these bases and their fight,” press secretary Lynn Kippax said.
Baldacci is scheduled to fly early today to Washington, where he’ll meet informally with Principi.
After the meeting, the governor is to meet with all four members of the Maine congressional delegation and representatives from community groups fighting for the bases in Brunswick and Kittery.
Richard Tetrev, who chairs the Brunswick Task Force and plans to attend the meetings, believes Baldacci will make it clear to Principi that Maine supports the bases.
To do any less may be a sign of weakness, Tetrev said.
The governor has been somewhat coy about the meeting. For more than 24 hours, his office declined to confirm the meeting until Wednesday afternoon, shortly before announcing Baldacci’s schedule.
Meanwhile, Principi has been meeting with officials from other states. Last week, he met with Gov. George Pataki of New York and Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut.
When the Pentagon’s list of targeted bases is released – likely on May 13 – Principi’s commission is expected to be the focus of lobbying from every affected community and state. Of roughly 425 U.S. installations, as many as one quarter are expected to be on the Pentagon list.
Today’s meeting between Principi and Baldacci was expected to be held in private. The two met before, while Baldacci was in Congress and Principi led the Veterans Administration.
“I don’t know what effect the meeting will have,” said Tetrev, the former second-in-command at the Brunswick base. Instead, he worries what may happen if Principi and others do not see Maine supporting its bases.
Tetrev said Principi can do nothing to prevent a base from appearing on the list.
In essence, the discussions will only help if Maine’s bases are targeted.
“The governor has to play the card and let Principi know what this means to Maine,” said Ralph Dean, a retired Navy captain who is working with Tetrev. “The stakes are too high to leave any card unplayed.”
There are valid reasons for Brunswick Naval Air Station to be spared, Dean said.
Among the points Baldacci may highlight are savings expected from the creation of a Reserve center to be built at BNAS and the base’s increasing role in homeland defense.
Meanwhile, Baldacci has actively supported Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. On Saturday, he accompanied supporters to southern Maine’s three rally sites.
Today’s meeting with the delegation is to be similarly aimed at the base-closure issue.
“We are looking forward to a productive meeting to discuss the future of Maine’s military installations,” Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said in a joint statement. “We have been strong advocates for Brunswick Naval Air Station and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to Navy and Pentagon leaders.
“Brunswick and Portsmouth are vital links in our nation’s defense system,” the Maine Republicans said.
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