[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1001-E1002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN DEFENSE OF 1,100 CLEVELAND, OHIO JOBS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of Ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, Today, I sent this letter in defense of 
1,100 Cleveland, Ohio jobs as a result of the BRAC process:


                                                 May 17, 2005.

     Chairman Anthony Principi,
     Base Realignment and Closure Commission, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Principi: Last week's announcement of the 
     2005 Department of Defense recommended BRAC closure list has 
     inappropriately targeted the Cleveland area with over 1,100 
     jobs cuts. Cleveland currently suffers from a severe economic 
     recession. Therefore I find the inclusion of these Cleveland 
     facilities to be a substantial deviation from the selection 
     criteria. These job losses are outrageous, unjust, and 
     unfair.
       Specifically, the BRAC list included the following cuts 
     that directly affect the immediate Cleveland area: The 
     Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Cleveland is 
     scheduled to lose 1,028 jobs with approximately 175 jobs 
     being spared, to protect the recent Lockheed Martin A76 
     privatization of the Military and Retired Annuitant Pay 
     Services contract function. The jobs are being moved to DFAS 
     facilities in Columbus, OH, Denver, CO, and Indianapolis, IN. 
     (BRAC Report: Volume 1, Part 2 H&SA 37-39); The Glenn 
     Research Center is also scheduled to lose 50 civilian 
     military research jobs. The

[[Page E1002]]

     Army Research Laboratory at Glenn is losing the Vehicle 
     Technology Directorate to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. 
     (BRAC Report: Volume 1, Part 2 Tech--22); The Navy Reserve 
     Center in Cleveland is scheduled to close and 25 jobs will be 
     lost. (BRAC Report: Volume 1, Part 2 DoN-29).
       As you know, the BRAC Commission has the authority to 
     change the Department's recommendations, if it determines 
     that the Secretary deviated substantially from the force 
     structure plan and/or selection criteria. (Ronald W. Reagan 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005: 
     Title XXVllI-General Provisions: Subtitle C--Base Closure and 
     Realignment: Sec. 2832. Specification of final selection 
     criteria for 2005 base closure round.)
       I believe the Department of Defense has clearly deviated 
     from the selection criteria.
       The Secretary is required to consider the economic impact 
     on existing communities in the vicinity of military 
     installations. (Ronald W. Reagan National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005: Title XXVIII-General 
     Provisions: Subtitle C--Base Closure and Realignment: Sec. 
     2832. Specification of final selection criteria for 2005 base 
     closure round.) The Department of Defense erroneously states 
     that a 0.1% job loss within the Cleveland Metropolitan 
     Statistical Area (MSA) has minimal economic impact.
       However, the Department of Defense failed to take into 
     account the current economic position of the Cleveland area. 
     Cleveland has been labeled as the poorest city in the country 
     today. Its poverty rate of 31.3 percent is the highest in the 
     nation, according to the most recent Census Bureau data from 
     2003. (Places within United States: Percent of People Below 
     Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months: 2003 American Community 
     Survey Summary Tables: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/
GRTTable? bm=y&-geo id=16000US0820000&-_box _head_nbr=R01&-
     ds_name= ACS_2003_EST_ G00_&-_lang=en&-format=US-32&-_sse=on) 
     Cleveland's #1 ranking in poverty rate results from the 
     significant job losses in the steel and manufacturing 
     industries over the past several decades. These job losses 
     continue. For example, the current 2006 budget recently 
     passed by Congress would slash up to 700 high paying federal 
     jobs at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The economy around 
     Cleveland is stagnating.
       Clearly, a 0.1 percent job loss for Cleveland is far more 
     damaging than such a loss in another city with a better 
     economic base. For example, the three cities scheduled to 
     gain additional jobs from Cleveland's BRAC losses have 
     poverty rates that are half to a third of Cleveland's. The 
     poverty rates (and rankings) are 16.5 percent (35th), 13.6 
     percent (49th), and 12.6 percent (55th) for Columbus, Denver, 
     and Indianapolis respectively. (Places within United States: 
     Percent of People Below Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months: 
     2003 American Community Survey Summary Tables: http://
factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GRTTable? bmy&-geo_ 
     id=16000US0820000&-_box_head_nbr=R01&-
     ds_name=ACS_2003_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-format=US-32&-_sse=on) 
     This BRAC round will secure for the foreseeable future 
     Cleveland's #1 poverty ranking.
       This is clear evidence that closures of these facilities in 
     the Cleveland area fall outside the criteria of the BRAC 
     process. I therefore request the BRAC Commission to reverse 
     the job losses in the Cleveland area.
           Sincerely,
                                               Dennis J. Kucinich,
     Member of Congress.

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