Success Depends on Grassroots Leaders
Frank Cioffi, president of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC), opined in the Burlington Free Press that we should applaud the “leadership” of Vermont’s political establishment for their support of the F-35 basing in Burlington. Cioffi says these politicians have recognized the economic benefits, dealt with “complex” issues, and have stood up to the “bullying,” and fear-based “emotional arguments” of “Forty or 50” people who oppose the basing.
Such a mischaracterization would be laughable if the stakes weren’t so high.
For the record: No one from the Vermont Air Guard (VTANG), Congressional delegation, or the GBIC has commented to the Air Force contesting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including that the F-35 is four times louder than the F-16, that the extreme noise zone will expand to half the houses in Winooski and a portion of Burlington, and that 8,000 people will live in homes not “suitable for residential use.”
