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GooseGoose
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 Posted: May 23, 2012 - 01:42 AM
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Active Member
Joined: May 08, 2008 - 01:29 AM
Posts: 107
Location: Afghanistan
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TRUE! All sides must be heard. 
Voice of the Free Press: All sides must be heard in the F-35 debate
7:33 PM, May. 19, 2012 | Comments
The most troubling thing about Monday’s public forum on deploying F-35 Lightening II fighters at the Burlington airport is that so many people felt they were never given the chance to have their say.
The people who complained were mainly those who were against seeing the Air Force’s latest fighter jet come to the Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington.
Making people feel shut out of an important debate undermines the democratic process. That’s especially true when the decision to base the new fighters in Vermont could have a huge impact on the lives of many people in the community.
This is about making sure all sides have their say.
The Air Guard base at Burlington International Airport is in the running to receive the F-35, an advanced stealth fighter made by Lockheed Martin. One of the major concerns is based on the fact that the Lightning II are much noisier on takeoff and landing than the F-16 jets currently flown by the Air Guard.
The study on the project’s environmental impact, including noise, was the subject of Monday’s forum at South Burlington High School.
Community members signed up for their turn at the microphone — first-come-first-served, organizers say — with the lineup heavily front-loaded with speakers favoring the jets largely on economic grounds.
That left many opponents complaining they were never given the chance to air their views.
Eliminate the absolutists from the debate — from those who oppose all things having to do with war to those who see jobs as justification for anything — and the conversation becomes complicated.
There is no question the Air Guard base provides jobs and acts as an economic engine for the region. There’s also no question basing the F-35s comes at a cost, a cost some will bear more heavily than others.
In the end, the question is always about trade-offs to try to balance competing interests.
One map included in the report made available at Monday’s forum shows what might be at stake for the communities surrounding the airport. The sound contour is an outline showing areas that are projected to be subjected to the high levels of aircraft noise. To the northwest, the contours extend over almost the entirety of the newly redeveloped downtown Winooski, including riverfront condos and student housing; to the southeast, the lines extend almost as far as Taft Corners in Williston.
The airport is currently buying up homes in the South Burlington neighborhood adjacent to the airport included within the current sound contour to create a buffer zone for the noise.
Potentially expanding the contours into a densely populated city such as Winooski, which has been in the throes of redevelopment for the past decade, hardly seems like a good prospect.
People have questions about how basing the jets at Burlington International will affect entire communities as well as individuals. Those interested in a informed debate — regardless of whether they are for or against the F-35s — must work to make sure voices are heard. |
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 Posted: May 24, 2013 - 1:51 PM
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