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 LA
County Fights to Keep Aerospace
Center
October 13, 2003
A
Colorado State Economic Development Commission has initiated
a major effort to persuade the U.S. government to move
the Space and Missile Systems Center at the Los Angeles
Air Force Base to the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado
as part of the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure
process.
This
is not a fight we can afford to lose because it's vital
to LA County's economy, said CEO & President Lee
Harrington Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
(LAEDC).
The
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
(LAEDC) believes that such a move
could have dramatic implications for the economy of
Southern California and for the safety of the space
program, said CEO & President Lee Harrington Los
Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
We are committed to the retention and growth of the
LA Air Force Base (LAAFB) and the Aerospace Corporation
here in Los Angeles County, said Harrington.
The
Aerospace Corporation is a private, nonprofit corporation
whose primary customer is the Space and Missile Systems
Center (SMC).
Harrington
said LAEDC has been working with "the County of
Los Angeles, the South Bay and the cities of El Segundo,
Hawthorne and Redondo Beach for the last six months
to ensure they stay. Now, we are launching a major public
retention initiative. Loss of these operations would
bring a catastrophic set back to our aerospace/defense
industry," said Harrington.
Chief
Economist Jack Kyser, LAEDC says more than 65,000 current
high wage jobs worth $3.3 Billion annually are at stake
in Southern California.
"Based
on new contract awards, this job base will grow to 75,000
in the next few years and $3.8 billion in wages. These
jobs will generate at least $270 million in state and
local taxes annually. LAAFB and the Aerospace industry
support thousands of other businesses in LA County and
Southern California. In short, they are a real plum
that other regions would love to pluck," explained
Kyser.
"The
County, the South Bay and the business community are
all committed to ensure we don't lose this critical
cornerstone of our economy," said President Joe
Aro of the South Bay Economic Partnership.
"The
key is for everyone to work together on this effort,"
said Chairman John Parsons of the South Bay Cities Council
of Governments and Co-Chair of the LA Air Force Base
Retention Task Force. "A task force, made up of
public and private sector leaders, will try to convince
Washington, D.C. that the LAAFB is an essential part
of the Southern California economy. We also want them
to know that the incredible technical and design capabilities
of our industries, universities and employment base
are unrivaled in the world for the scientific and technical
mission of the LAAFB and Aerospace Corporation."
"Past
large scale moves like this have resulted in safety
concerns due to brain drain when highly experienced
engineers chose not to move with their unit," said
LAEDC Vice President Lynn Hogan of LAEDC, assigned to
support the task force. "Addressing safety issues
is critical to the decision regarding the relocation
of the LAAFB," added Hogan, who was formerly Government
Affairs Manager for ARCO with experience in Sacramento
and Washington. "The task force will work to inform
and educate decisions-makers in Washington, DC that
Los Angeles is far and away the best place for the Space
and Missile Systems Center."
"This
is not a fight we can afford to lose," concluded
Harrington. "We invite members of the community
to join us in this effort."
LAEDC's
website is at http://www.laedc.org
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