Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Frustrated by Lack of Navy Concern

It continues to be apparent that the Navy has an agenda that we mere mortals are unable to comprehend. They have flaunted the process by completely dismissing the "no build" option and refusing to meet with the owner of Laurelwood in order to negotiate a settlement. Now would be a perfect time to meet with the owner since the economy is in turmoil and housing prices have hit the skids. What better opportunity vis-a-vis negotiating power versus waiting for the economy to recover and housing prices to firm up. You can really tell the difference between a businessman and a government employee. A businessman would have cut to the chase and sorted this out years ago versus a government employee who does not have a bottom line to protect. We hear nothing from the government but concerns over the "budget" and yet in this instance millions of dollars have been wasted as the Navy "dithers". What will it take for the Navy to "mediate" this problem and make it go away????? I also guess that the Navy is not concerned about any potential "terror" threats with unimpeded access to NWS Earle. The recent spate of home grown terrorists (Fort Dix, NY synagogues, Arkansas Army recruiting depot, etc, etc) does not seem to register with Washington. I guess all of our senior Navy civilians live in the cloistered world of Washington, DC and do not worry about what is happening in the REAL world.


billhobo said...

Your point of cutting to the chase is dead on, Ernie. Remember that the business owner (Laurelwood) approached the Navy in 2002 about a buyout that would have prevented this current headache and cost the federal government about as much money as it has paid Mrs. Fischer since she refinanced the mortgage on the essentially empty Laurelwood houses.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't NOPE and the townships opposed to the contract raise the funds to buy out the contract? The Navy wants to SAVE taxpayer money.

Bill Holobowski said...

Anonymous, read our Business Case Analysis on our website (http://www.orgsites.com/nj/nope/). Going thru with the contract will cost the Navy more than $61 million thru 2040. A $20 million one-time buyout (fair market value for the homes) is a more-equitable solution. That, or the Navy should exercise its right (by contract) to void it entirely and not pay a cent to the developer.