Noisy Debate On The OLF

by Rick Martinez - March 7th, 2007 - News & Observer

My support of the Navy's Washington County preference has grown stronger since the release of a court-ordered supplemental environmental impact statement of five possible North Carolina sites. The draft relieved much of my concern over the collision risk of an F-18 Super Hornet and one of the 500,000 super-sized waterfowl that winter at the nearby Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

[snip]

Although other sites could work -- including the governor's pick, Craven County -- Washington County's strategic location between Oceana and Cheery Point makes it the best military option. Which is exactly why it should be the place where the OLF is built.

I didn't know that Governor Easley was promoting Craven County as the place for the OLF. The accusation keeps being made that "Virginia's desire to export all of the noise and problems to eastern N.C. and keep all of the jets and accompanying jobs in Virginia is akin to having great growth in the Tidewater Region and exporting all of the trash and sewage to N.C."

Of course this bias on the part of Virginia politicians is not at all like the bias of North Carolina politicians who want neither.

As I have said before, no one is going to be persuaded by the arguments of those on the other side. Only when they finally build the OLF and it is too late will the arguments finally cease . . . . and then the recriminations will start.