I was at a meeting Thursday when the Army outlined deployment schedules that should give pause to local businesses and makes the issue of building housing even more vexing.
Everyone knows Fort Drum is an economic engine that has kept the ravages of the nation's recession away from the Watertown area. However under a tentative plan revealed to community leaders, some 83% of the soldiers will be gone for a six month period in the winter of 2013. Its the result of a new plan to deploy all three combat brigades at once...
In the coming months we will see just the opposite as during parts of 2012 all 19000+ soldiers will be here....
Those trying to coordinate the construction of housing to meet the peak periods were troubled as its the the up and down in population that hinders developers from making the massive investments in housing.
These deployment schedules are subject to change, but for a time there will be some lonely nights for many local retailers and the boom next year must be tempered by the knowledge of what happens a year later.
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9 comments:
I'm not shedding to many tears for the developers, PILOTS,(not Helicopter) JCIDA,WLDC, all make the road to Success very EZ. The ARMY will be deployed that's a fact of life.
Where are all the soldiers going, Mr Mayor? I thought the Annointed One was bringing all the guys home. Then again 2013 is AFTER the election. Makes sense to have them here for the election then send them off again afterwards. Gives the right impression to the voters.
Sounds like having a RINO card-check secretary of army won't really pay off for us, huh?
"...Ft Drum is an economic engine..."
Military Keynesianism.
Foolish reasoning. For every dollar of Federal welfare transfer payments Uncle Sam makes to the local Ruling Class, He removes $71 dollars from the people of New York just to cover the immediate & direct costs of the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
Good Point 3:38 but this type of "reasoning" is lost in the sales tax revenue the GI's bring to the area, Of course if they buy a house they get their 40% off the assessment, so guess who pays again?
We need 'em in war, but not when it messes with our business bottom line, right?
What hypocrisy on this issue.
I don't know, 3:38. Naancie told us food stamps were a boon to the economy too. And we all know she can't be wrong.
Good Point Dannie, Let's bring them back, JCC needs to be filled and the Tilted Kilt and Maggie's needs more patrons. Just dont have them buy houses we dont need any more property exemptions.
As long as Dannie gets his exemption I don't worry about it too much.
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