To the editor:
As the current president blusters about seizing Greenland for America’s national defense, maybe every resident in Aroostook County can call the White House and remind them of Loring Air Force Base.
In 1993, they deployed the Base Realignment and Closure [Commission], which was originally meant to decrease the defense budget. But what happened? They closed down Loring, which was a major economic driver for this region of the state of Maine, besides a strategic location for national defense. They moved all the planes and staff and money to the southern states of Alabama and Mississippi and left Aroostook barren without any federal economic driver to build up and maintain the region.
I know the MAGA crowd loves to do their own research, so I invite them to look up the numbers for defense budget from 1993 to 2024. How much was each year as we get to today? All that money, not spent in Aroostook over the time period.
In 1960, Aroostook County had a population of 120,000 residents. Today, we barely scratch at 70,000 people. Granted the base was comprised of a maximum of 7,000 military personnel for its capacity. But, how many residents, working, running businesses were an offshoot supporting the base and its staff? Many.
Every resident in Aroostook County, especially MAGA [proponents], should be lighting up the White House switchboards (202-456-1111) demanding the reopening of Loring Air Force Base and not wasting time going after Greenland.
Call Sens. Collins and King. Call Rep. Golden. Tell them that base needs to reopen, period, now. Aroostook prosperity depends on it and America’s national defense requires it.
John Orlando
Van Buren
