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Ballantine: 'I believe the Navy'
By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE, News Editor
Patrick Ballantine says he believes the Navy.
Residents protesting the Navy's plans to construct an outlying landing field in the area should come up with something better than a not-in-my-backyard argument against the OLF, the Republican gubernatorial candidate suggested during an interview and in remarks to potential supporters Friday at a campaign stop in Washington.
"I support the Navy until we can prove that there's a better site," Ballantine said during the interview.
"I told you that I'm going to believe the Navy until we can prove there's a better site," he said to the crowd.
The Wilmington resident and former state senator acknowledged that public opinion in the northeastern corner of the state seems to tilt strongly against the OLF.
"No politician wants to have the people upset with him, but I have to do what I think is best for our state," he said. "And I am open-minded and willing to listen and, hopefully, we can find a location that satisfies everyone's concerns."
He continued, saying, "I do think we need a landing field. ... First of all, we're a military state, and I'm proud to have such a strong association with the military. I want to encourage the military to increase their presence here, and it's an $18 billion a year industry, and we would hope that it would even grow. We need to have a strong working relationship with the military. So, they say they need (an OLF) to protect our country's freedom, and I believe that."
Acknowledging that people opposed to the OLF have contacted him and his campaign, Ballantine also admitted to having talked with the Navy.
Regarding those fighting the OLF, he said, "And mostly what they've done is tell me that they want it somewhere else. But we need to answer a big, one-word question: Where? And I haven't had that question answered yet. So, we're still looking at that."
Litigation by Beaufort and Washington counties and environmental groups temporarily has taken the landing strip matter out of the military's hands and stopped the process leading to construction. Still, the Navy project threatens to become a major election-year issue for state and local candidates. Anti-OLF forces are starting to show up for political events, and they're asking the candidates pointed questions about their positions on the landing field.
The Navy still would like to procure 30,000 acres of privately owned land around the proposed, practice landing field southeast of Plymouth in Washington County.
Though small parcels of land already have been acquired by the Navy, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle has barred the Navy from proceeding with additional property acquisition until the lawsuit plays out in court.
With Beaufort County a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, Ballantine strolled headlong into a hotbed of OLF opposition Friday during a campaign swing through Eastern North Carolina.
At his noon stop in a downtown Washington restaurant, Ballantine faced questions from at least two local residents involved in the struggle to keep the OLF off Washington County-Beaufort County land.
Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson quizzed the gubernatorial candidate on whether the N.C. General Assembly should repeal a 1907 state statute granting the federal government exclusive jurisdiction over property the feds obtain in the state.
"This is the heart of the property-rights issue with the OLF," Richardson told Ballantine during a question-and-answer session.
Richardson asked Ballantine whether he would favor repealing the law.
"Well, Hood, would that be retroactive in this case?" the candidate responded.
Ballantine continued, saying, "My philosophy is to protect the property rights," but he suggested that taking the 1907 law off the books might not stop the OLF, adding, "I think (repealing the law) would probably not affect this (retroactively) anyway, would it?"
Ballantine also took a question from Fred Howell, who said he stands to lose 1,800 to 2,000 acres to the restricted buffer zone around the landing field.
Howell noted that the Navy's final environmental impact statement, or FEIS, on the OLF pointed out that existing military facilities could support training operations.
Ballantine indicated Navy officials had told him the OLF is a necessity.
"I'm just telling you what they say to me is that they do need the OLF," Ballantine said.
Howell asked whether Ballantine had read the FEIS.
Ballantine said he hadn't read that document.
"If there's a better location, tell me where," he said.
In part, the FEIS says, "Existing facilities at (Naval Air Station) Oceana and (Naval Auxiliary Landing Field) Fentress were found to meet all the operational requirements under routine operating conditions to support the (field carrier landing practice) operations of the Super Hornet squadrons. However, if all or a majority of the Super Hornet squadrons are stationed at NAS Oceana, construction and operation of an additional OLF is being considered to provide for operational flexibility and to mitigate the noise impacts."
During an interview, Howell said Boyle's decision to halt progress on the OLF should have influenced Ballantine's thinking on the issue. The judge thought enough about the Navy's plans to put them on hold until the completion of the civil trial, he added.
Asked whether Ballantine's statements had influenced the way he will vote, Howell replied, "What do you think?"
The OLF controversy didn't appear to diminish support for Ballantine among some members of his core base who attended the lunchtime meeting.
"I think he's going to lose some votes, I think he's going to pick up some votes," said Cypress Landing resident Roger Tuttle, a longtime Ballantine supporter.
Residents protesting the Navy's plans to construct an outlying landing field in the area should come up with something better than a not-in-my-backyard argument against the OLF, the Republican gubernatorial candidate suggested during an interview and in remarks to potential supporters Friday at a campaign stop in Washington.
"I support the Navy until we can prove that there's a better site," Ballantine said during the interview.
"I told you that I'm going to believe the Navy until we can prove there's a better site," he said to the crowd.
The Wilmington resident and former state senator acknowledged that public opinion in the northeastern corner of the state seems to tilt strongly against the OLF.
"No politician wants to have the people upset with him, but I have to do what I think is best for our state," he said. "And I am open-minded and willing to listen and, hopefully, we can find a location that satisfies everyone's concerns."
He continued, saying, "I do think we need a landing field. ... First of all, we're a military state, and I'm proud to have such a strong association with the military. I want to encourage the military to increase their presence here, and it's an $18 billion a year industry, and we would hope that it would even grow. We need to have a strong working relationship with the military. So, they say they need (an OLF) to protect our country's freedom, and I believe that."
Acknowledging that people opposed to the OLF have contacted him and his campaign, Ballantine also admitted to having talked with the Navy.
Regarding those fighting the OLF, he said, "And mostly what they've done is tell me that they want it somewhere else. But we need to answer a big, one-word question: Where? And I haven't had that question answered yet. So, we're still looking at that."
Litigation by Beaufort and Washington counties and environmental groups temporarily has taken the landing strip matter out of the military's hands and stopped the process leading to construction. Still, the Navy project threatens to become a major election-year issue for state and local candidates. Anti-OLF forces are starting to show up for political events, and they're asking the candidates pointed questions about their positions on the landing field.
The Navy still would like to procure 30,000 acres of privately owned land around the proposed, practice landing field southeast of Plymouth in Washington County.
Though small parcels of land already have been acquired by the Navy, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle has barred the Navy from proceeding with additional property acquisition until the lawsuit plays out in court.
With Beaufort County a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, Ballantine strolled headlong into a hotbed of OLF opposition Friday during a campaign swing through Eastern North Carolina.
At his noon stop in a downtown Washington restaurant, Ballantine faced questions from at least two local residents involved in the struggle to keep the OLF off Washington County-Beaufort County land.
Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson quizzed the gubernatorial candidate on whether the N.C. General Assembly should repeal a 1907 state statute granting the federal government exclusive jurisdiction over property the feds obtain in the state.
"This is the heart of the property-rights issue with the OLF," Richardson told Ballantine during a question-and-answer session.
Richardson asked Ballantine whether he would favor repealing the law.
"Well, Hood, would that be retroactive in this case?" the candidate responded.
Ballantine continued, saying, "My philosophy is to protect the property rights," but he suggested that taking the 1907 law off the books might not stop the OLF, adding, "I think (repealing the law) would probably not affect this (retroactively) anyway, would it?"
Ballantine also took a question from Fred Howell, who said he stands to lose 1,800 to 2,000 acres to the restricted buffer zone around the landing field.
Howell noted that the Navy's final environmental impact statement, or FEIS, on the OLF pointed out that existing military facilities could support training operations.
Ballantine indicated Navy officials had told him the OLF is a necessity.
"I'm just telling you what they say to me is that they do need the OLF," Ballantine said.
Howell asked whether Ballantine had read the FEIS.
Ballantine said he hadn't read that document.
"If there's a better location, tell me where," he said.
In part, the FEIS says, "Existing facilities at (Naval Air Station) Oceana and (Naval Auxiliary Landing Field) Fentress were found to meet all the operational requirements under routine operating conditions to support the (field carrier landing practice) operations of the Super Hornet squadrons. However, if all or a majority of the Super Hornet squadrons are stationed at NAS Oceana, construction and operation of an additional OLF is being considered to provide for operational flexibility and to mitigate the noise impacts."
During an interview, Howell said Boyle's decision to halt progress on the OLF should have influenced Ballantine's thinking on the issue. The judge thought enough about the Navy's plans to put them on hold until the completion of the civil trial, he added.
Asked whether Ballantine's statements had influenced the way he will vote, Howell replied, "What do you think?"
The OLF controversy didn't appear to diminish support for Ballantine among some members of his core base who attended the lunchtime meeting.
"I think he's going to lose some votes, I think he's going to pick up some votes," said Cypress Landing resident Roger Tuttle, a longtime Ballantine supporter.
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