Base closings cost $10B more than estimated
- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
By Ed Tibbetts | Wednesday, December 12, 2007 |
A new study says the government’s upfront costs for closing and realigning military bases, including the Rock Island Arsenal, have soared from $21 billion to $31 billion.
The study, done by the Government Accountability Office and released Tuesday, also said that projected savings over 20 years have shrunk considerably.
The GAO said increased military construction costs were the main culprit for pushing the upfront pricetag higher. It added the initial projections were not intended to represent “budget quality” estimates.
The GAO didn’t specifically address the Arsenal-related moves, which are expected to mean a net loss of about 1,000 jobs to the Quad-Cities, mostly from the loss of the TACOM organization to the Detroit Arsenal. However, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has requested a separate GAO study of that move, and it is expected soon.
“I said after the BRAC Commission made its recommendations that they appeared to
forget one of the basic guidelines they were to follow — cost savings,” Grassley said Tuesday. “The TACOM move out of the Rock Island Arsenal is a prime example.”
The GAO said Tuesday it is now estimating overall savings from the BRAC moves through 2025 will be $15 billion, 58 percent less than the $36 billion the Base Closure and Realignment Commission initially forecast. It also said projected net annual savings will be $4 billion, about $200 million less than predicted.
The agency said 30 of the
182 recommendations cost $50 million more than first anticipated and six of those cost $500 million more.
It called the 2005 BRAC round the biggest, most complex and costliest in history.
Two years ago, the base closing commission recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 other big facilities. President Bush and Congress approved the report.
In all, 800 changes were put into motion.
The Pentagon said the goal was to improve military readiness, as well as save money. And in a letter responding to the GAO report, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Philip Grone said even though cost savings are projected to be lower than expected, “implementation of these recommendations are expected to enhance defense capabilities.”
He added annual recurring cost savings still will be “significant.”
The GAO report comes as a panel of the House Armed Services Committee plans to hold a hearing today to examine the recommended base closings. In particular, backers of Fort Monmouth in New Jersey are challenging the decision to close the installation and ship jobs to a base in Maryland.
U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, is a member of the committee. In his district, the 2nd, there are three National Guard facilities that would be rebuilt as a result of the 2005 BRAC, including one in Muscatine. An aide said because of higher costs and delays those projects haven’t been funded yet. Loebsack said the new GAO report “confirms my concerns over the cost overruns involved in this BRAC process and the negative impact they are having on military instillations and facilities in Iowa.”
Ed Tibbetts can be contacted at
(563) 383-2327 or etibbetts@qctimes. Comment on this article at qctimes.com.
del.icio.us
Digg
NewsVine
Fark
reddit» More Local Stories
- Casino income drop means less for RDA, city
- EM, Milan consider curbside recycling
- Ice leads to salty situation in Q-C
- Base closings cost $10B more than estimated
- Princeton, Iowa, has fix for water problems
- Aldermen want Menards to find use for old store
- Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities will get historic documents
Highest Rated Articles from the last 7 Days
- Technology News Articles
- Computers, MP3, Phones & More. See Product Pics, Specs & Reviews.
- www.NexTag.com
- 2008 Diet Of The Year:
- Finally, A Diet That Really Works! Seen On CNN, NBC, CBS & Fox News.
- www.Wu-YiSource.com
- Cheap Airfare
- Compare multiple travel sites. Discount web fares made easy.
- www.LowFares.com
- Ads by Yahoo!
