Senator Martin Committed to Fighting for Loring Jobs
May 13, 2005
AUGUSTA— Senator John L. Martin (D-Aroostook County) of Eagle Lake expressed deep concern over the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission’s (BRAC) decision to cut 241 Defense Finance and Accounting Service jobs located at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. The decision was part of the Commission’s recently released recommendations that included the closure of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the realignment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station.
“This is absolutely irrational,” said Senator Martin. “How do they expect the people of Northern Maine to survive? The economy of the Limestone area is just now beginning to rebound from the closure of Loring Air Force Base over 10 years ago – this will devastate the area.”
Loring Air Force Base was closed in September of 1994, and in the ten years that have followed, the Loring Development Authority has re-established well over a 1,000 civilian jobs – at the end of April 2005 1,393 people were employed at the former base in various positions and capacities, 354 within the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
“I have been in close contact with Congressman Michaud’s office as well as Senator’s Snowe and Collins,” said Senator Martin. “I am strongly committed to working to secure those jobs. This is not the last word, and I will do everything within my capacity to keep those people employed.”
Senator Martin has also been in contact with the Loring Development Authority and the Governor’s Office.
“How many times do these people have to retrain and find a new job? This is not just about cutting and streamlining military spending – this is about people’s lives,” said Senator Martin. “We can not, and I will not let this happen to Loring again.”
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