No, No, No

The SJ-R is reporting the city and state are going to attempt to bribe the federal government into keeping the 183rd Fighter Wing here.

The state will offer to build the Air National Guard a munitions facility at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport if the Pentagon keeps the 183rd Fighter Wing's 15 F-16 fighter jets in Springfield, The State Journal-Register has learned.

Officials will make the offer today when they testify before the Base Realignment and Closure commission in St. Louis.

"The city has a multilevel commitment (with the state) to building a munitions storage facility out there if the jets say," said Al Pieper, president of the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council, which has worked closely with the local committee charged with keeping the planes in Springfield.

The munitions facility appears to be an attempt by the state to trump Fort Wayne (Ind.) International Airport, which also has the ability to load and store live munitions. The Pentagon has recommended that the local F-16s be relocated to Fort Wayne.

Neither state nor city officials would discuss the munitions facility, but it appears that the state of Illinois would pay the entire cost.

A munitions facility would cost about $10 million, Pieper believes.

First, may I laugh once again at the name Ft. Wayne International Airport?

Second, let's not start this game. Taxpayers all across the land are being forced to pay for bidding wars to attain or retian private industry. Now we're going to do the same for military units? Come on. This is a can of worms that need not be opened. And be careful Spingfield, Chicago may get wind of this and decide thay can bribe the State to move all its operations to that city. You know how those bastards covet OUR state jobs!

By the way, I was not able to attend the rally at Capital Aiport due to a medical condition I devloped over the weekend (nothing serious but you don't want to know). I hope it went well. Anyone go? What happened?

UPDATE: Jim over at Abelog says only about 200 people showed up. That's disappointing to me. Hell, I had vacation time already submited at work to attend before I came down with my little ailment. But a big thanks to those who did make it.