[CPEO-MEF] SJ Merc-News says "No bombers over Big Sur."

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

The Kingston Trio used to sing "The South Coast, the wild coast is
lonely ..." about California's central coast. Today the region is home
to parks, wilderness, and a host of spiritual and religious retreat
centers. And Californians appear to want to keep it that way.

Friday, the San Jose Mercury News emphatically editorialized against the
Navy's proposal to start bombing runs in the area:

"BOMBS, GO AWAY

Maybe it's a little hard to hear Californians' voices over the roar of
jet engines, so we'll say this slowly and clearly:

No bombers over Big Sur.

Are you listening, Navy?

Probably not.

The Navy didn't want to hear from Californians at all when it first
planned to use Fort Hunter Liggett in southern Monterey County as a
practice bombing range. Navy officials kept a low profile when they
began planning training flights from the Naval Air Station in Lemoore,
near Fresno. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Santa Cruz, wasn't told. Nor were many
other obvious interested parties. The public comment period was almost
over when most people learned of the plan -- by accident.

...

What sense does it make, he asked later, for Congress to create parks
and wilderness areas, set up condor and bald eagle sanctuaries and
otherwise try to protect the central coast's legendary beauty and
solitude if it's going to allow fighter jets to zip through with their
eardrum-busting climb-outs?..."

For the entire editorial, see 
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/opinion/edit/BIGSUR.htm
(Note: You may have to search the week's archives if this URL becomes
dated.)

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~