McCain Response to USA Today Story
McCain Spokesman Brian Rogers:
“This story is absurd. This project was requested by the Air Force and supported by virtually everyone in Arizona -- Democrats and Republicans, Governor Napolitano, the entire Congressional delegation and scores of local leaders -- but that's not even mentioned in this story. It's shameful.”
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: Did Sen. McCain talk about the Luke land acquisition issue with Bill Post, Robert Aiken or other top Pinnacle West or SunCor officials?
A: Senator McCain did not have discussions with Mr. Post or Mr. Aiken or any other company officials regarding Luke land acquisition issues in the FY 2003 and FY 2004 defense authorization bills. However, Senator McCain's staff does recall speaking with representatives of Pinnacle West – just as staff would have in the ordinary course of constituency service. Staff also had discussions with relevant local officials and (more importantly for purposes of these questions) officials of the Air Force, including the Wing Commander of Luke Air Force Base, the Commander of Air Education and Training Command, San Antonio, Texas, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Installations. The Air Force indicated that it needed to acquire certain land near Luke AFB, called the “departure corridors”, to ensure that armed jet fighter aircraft leave the base safely, as they depart to drop bombs on a nearby range (without threatening the safety or health of Arizonans around the base). The Air Force's concern here was consistent with issues confronting other critical military bases, e.g., Nellis Air Force Base, NV; Naval Air Station Oceana, VA; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA, that are surrounded by rapid residential and commercial development.
Q: Why would it be wrong to suggest that this gives the appearance of benefiting a special interest which has been the source of campaign contributions?
A: It would be wrong because, it is simply unsupported by the facts. At no time did Senator McCain have any involvement in directing the Air Force to acquire any parcel of land that deviated from what the Air Force indicated was needed to ensure the safety or health of Arizonans around the base. Issues regarding the sale of land near Luke AFB were first presented to the Senate in the form of a House-passed provision that authorized $13 million for Luke AFB in the DOD authorization legislation. Senator McCain was concerned that the provision reflect the interests of the taxpayers and meet the needs of the Air Force. In a formal requirements document known as a "DD Form 1391”, the Air Force indicated that it needed land in Luke AFB's southern departure corridor to help ensure the safety of flight operations associated with the base. As such, Senator McCain worked with the Arizona delegation to help the Air Force satisfy that requirement.
Importantly, SunCor or Pinnacle West were apparently only interested in a provision allowing the Air Force to acquire land adjacent and to the east of Luke AFB, where they owned land around Luke's munitions storage area that the Air Force wanted to surround with a buffer zone. Rather, Senator McCain's interest was only to support the formal requirements of the Air Force in a way that furthered the interests of the taxpayer.
Q: Why was this fiscally responsible? Sen. McCain helped put it in the authorization bills, although it wasn't requested by the Air Force, and it was listed by Citizens Against Government Waste as pork.
A: For years, Senator McCain has used, and come to rely on, certain criteria to help him determine what defense spending requests are fiscally responsible. Those criteria allow that spending requests not reflected in the President's budget be included in defense spending bills only if they, among other things, reflect a legitimate service requirement.
Senator McCain believes that a service's request for a military construction project supported by a formal requirements document called a "DD Form 1391", mentioned above, satisfies that criterion. In this case, the Air Force filed such a form, in connection with the acquisition of land in the departure corridors. With this document, Senator McCain was persuaded that the Air Force had an actual requirement that merited a legislative response. It should also be noted that after the provision was enacted, the Air Force acquired the land in the departure corridors in accordance with its own prioritization plan, which are designed to ensure that the most urgent safety concerns are addressed in a transparent manner and at a negotiated fair market price.
Also, a letter from Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President, Tom Shatz, published in the Roll Call on November 10, 2003, arguably defended erroneous allegations that had been made about this matter, similar to those that are raised in these questions. That letter explained that Senator McCain did not request any funding for the appropriations committee or act inappropriately in any way, but rather worked to authorize the provision through the regular legislative process.
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U.S. To Purchase Land Near Luke
Cost Of Buffer Put At $27 Mil
By David Madrid
The Arizona Republic
March 19, 2004
Arizona leaders on Thursday celebrated a successful battle to get more than $27 million in federal money to buy land around Luke Air Force Base, saying they finally have some financial weapons to protect the base.
The money means more than 2,100 acres flanking the base's southern and northern ends will be safeguarded, staving off a steady march of housing, an exultant Sen. John McCain said.
Property owners will be fairly compensated, he said, responding to landowners' long-held concern that their financial rights will be trampled in the move to save Luke from residential encroachment.
But he added a warning: "No one, no one at all, should expect to get rich here."
McCain said the federal money is a "solid step" toward ending the threat of encroachment.
McCain, Sen. Jon Kyl and Congressman Trent Franks worked to get the $27.3 million to buy the land. The three were joined in Goodyear on Thursday morning by Gov. Janet Napolitano and a throng of other Valley leaders who are eager to keep Luke open.
The base's economic worth to Arizona is pegged at more than $1 billion annually.
"I think what the program today demonstrates is that our work with our military facilities ... is not (about) Republicans or Democrats; it's really about Arizona," said Napolitano, who appointed two groups to work through issues threatening Arizona's five major military bases.
Next year, one out of four of the country's bases will be chosen for closure as the Department of Defense tries to transform the military into a more efficient and mobile fighting force.
Encroachment could disrupt Luke's mission of training F-16 pilots and crew chiefs, making it a tempting target for a shutdown.
Most of the money, $21.3 million, will be used to acquire permanent easement rights for 1,800 acres owned by about 50 landowners who are closest to Luke's runways.
The easements will allow landowners to farm the land, while protecting it from development.
The land purchases on the southern end are especially critical because the southern departure corridor is the only route left open to live armed flights headed to the Barry M. Goldwater Range.
Three million dollars will buy 273 acres around a munitions storage area south of Luke.
Another $3 million will be used by the Air Force to expand the base to encompass the munitions area.
McCain warned that more federal money may not be available for some time and that the state needs to step up with some bucks to protect Luke.
The state Senate on Thursday gave preliminary approval to spending $10 million in General Fund money for private property around Luke.
The bill needs final Senate approval before heading to the House for consideration.
McCain said the state and federal governments are discussing options such as land swaps that could also aid the base.
The land purchase move is a good idea to at least one landowner who attended Thursday's news conference.
Phil Overson, 68, owns 5 acres on the northern end of the base. He has a double-wide mobile home on the land, although no one lives there now.
Overson said he would be satisfied if the military paid him for the residential use of his land and for a barn permit.
He said he plans to grow citrus.
"No one should live there now," he said.
Forum for landowners
Luke Air Force Base will hold a forum to discuss the purchase of real estate rights of landowners who live near the base's runways.
The forum will be held at 7 p.m. March 31 at Peoria City Council chambers, 8401 W. Monroe St.
Representatives of the Air Force and the Army Corp of Engineers will provide information and answer questions.
