March's boosters say base boasts advantages feds cannot ignore

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | Saturday, January 29, 2005 10:30 PM PST ∞

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE ---- It could happen. As much as local boosters don't want it to, March Air Reserve Base could be closed in the rapidly approaching fifth round of U.S. military downsizing, depending on how politics plays into the decision later this year to shutter as many as one-fourth of the nation's installations, political analysts say.

And the recent landing of overnight-delivery giant DHL to anchor March's retrenching into a regional cargo airport could make it more vulnerable to closure, said Shaun Bowler, a political science professor at UC Riverside.

"Now the argument is going to be that it can stand on its own two feet," Bowler said.

But Phil Rizzo, executive director for the March Joint Powers Authority, said closure is not likely to happen. He has been spearheading March's retrenching since it was downsized from Air Force base to reserve base a decade ago.

If anything, Rizzo said, DHL is an argument for leaving the reserve operation intact. Now, the military has someone to share the cost of maintaining the 2.5-mile runway, one of Southern California's longest.

"That is a very big selling point," Rizzo said.

Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman Marion Ashley, in whose district the base sits, agreed.

"DHL is nothing but a big plus," Ashley said. "The military has been encouraging us to get something going, to lower their costs. It's close to a no brainer. If we tried to close it down, they'd probably fight us."

The first time

In downsizing March, the military gave two-thirds of its 6,600 acres to the joint powers authority, which is run by the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley and Perris, and Riverside County. The land straddles both sides of Interstate 215 near Riverside and Moreno Valley. The airstrip is just east of the freeway.

Armed with 4,400 acres, the authority has been working to remake March into a regional cargo airport. Until recently, it had enjoyed little success. The authority finally scored last year when DHL announced plans to base its West Coast operations at March and deliver hundreds of jobs.

March's downsizing dealt a major blow to western Riverside County's economy at a time when it was reeling from the loss of numerous aerospace jobs in the region. Rizzo said the area lost a billion-dollar economic engine as the military scaled back its presence, trimming the number of servicemen and -women who work there from 6,000 to the current 1,200.

In all, there have been four rounds of closures since 1988. California was hammered by all of them. Twenty-nine installations have closed, leaving a total of 61. State officials estimate the closures have cost California $9.6 billion in revenues and 92,000 jobs.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says the United States still has 25 percent more bases than it needs. And California still has more than twice as many bases as any other state. Experts say they believe California is vulnerable yet again in the latest Base Realignment and Closure process beginning to unfold.

In March, the government is scheduled to appoint a commission to study the issue. In May, the military is expected to name the bases it wants to close. In September, the commission is expected to deliver its list of recommended closures to Congress and the president.

"We are planning on not being on that list," Rizzo said.

A lot to offer

And Rizzo said he is confident March won't be. He maintained this round will be based strictly on strategic importance, and stressed the Riverside County reserve base offers many advantages.

It is hard to miss those with the country at war. Rizzo said 150,000 troops have reached Iraq through March. He noted it is the main departure point for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, 50 miles away.

"They could go out of Travis, too, but that's a long bus ride," Rizzo said. That Air Force base, outside Sacramento, is 450 miles away.

March is home to units that refuel planes in war zones and fight wildfires in summer.

Then there are the $58 million in improvements being pumped into March ---- a fire station, hangar and flight simulator ---- to support the August arrival of eight, $200 million C-17s to replace the base's aging C-141s, Rizzo said. And the base is being touted as a Homeland Security hub for all of Southern California.

"There are not many bases on the West Coast that can do what March can do," he said.

That may be true. But the bottom line is, politics ultimately will play a central role in which bases survive and which bases don't, Bowler said.

"It's always political," he said. "There's no way around it."

No pleading poverty here

The fact that March already is partly closed doesn't help matters, political experts say.

It's easy to see how boosters may try to use last decade's downsizing to bolster their case.

"The argument is going to be, 'We already gave at the office. How much more do you want us to give?'" Bowler said.

But the downsizing was far more devastating to the regional economy in the mid-1990s than any final closure would be today, Bowler said. What's left of the military operation delivers comparatively small benefits to the region. Rizzo estimates the current economic impact at $347 million a year ---- a fraction of what it once was.

As well, Bowler notes the region's economy is more diverse and better positioned to absorb a blow.

"The military is not as big of a deal to us as it used to be," Bowler said. "It's not as visible anymore. The casinos are more noticeable than the military now."

Communities all over the country are going to argue over the next several months that pulling the plug on bases will irreparably harm their economies, he said.

"But for us, we can't plead poverty," he said.

UC San Diego economics history professor Michael Bernstein argues that the 1990s downsizing could be an omen.

"My gut instinct is that the Air Force wants to walk away from March because they've already started to," Bernstein said. "The Air Force has certainly backed away from March, in turning it into a reserve facility. They might see BRAC as an opportunity to walk away entirely."

Telling the story

On the surface, one would think the military would welcome the arrival of DHL, Bernstein said. "You're getting a private vendor who is literally, pardon the pun, willing to pay some of the freight," he said.

Bernstein said the federal government has to be excited about that ---- unless, of course, it intends to unload March.

To be sure, with DHL coming, Rizzo is excited about March. That doesn't mean he is sitting idly, just waiting to hear what the closure commission recommends, however.

"I am very confident," Rizzo said. "But am I going to relax? No."

And the members of the joint powers authority won't let him. Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris and the county all have contributed $100,000 to mount a campaign to save March. The campaign also received $10,000 from the Economic Development Corporation of Southwest Riverside County.

So far, that money has been used to hire a high-powered lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and produce a six-minute video espousing March's strong points, among other things. Rizzo shows the video to business, government and community groups at every opportunity.

"I want to tell the story as many times to as many people who will listen," he said.

And, yes, March is not the economic giant it once was, when it was a full-fledged Air Force base. But it still provides significant benefits to the community, Rizzo said.

"So why wouldn't we spend $410,000 as a community for a $347 million return?" he asked.

Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or ddowney@californian.com.

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