A.V. GROUP STUMPS FOR REGION IN D.C.Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer Before going into a constituent breakfast, Sen. Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. A member of the Democratic Party, Boxer was first elected to the U.S. , D-Calif., huddled for a few minutes with the people from the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Board of Trade. Boxer listened to their concerns about the lack of a state effort to bring work on the Joint Strike Fighter program The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) became synonymous with the later F-35 Lightning II, however until 2001 the term was applied to the competition between the Boeing X-32 and Lockheed Martin X-35. to California. Then she surprised the group by offering to write letters to state legislators. ``Getting Boxer's support was a coup,'' recalled Mike Parrott Michael Everett Arch Parrott (born December 6, 1954 in Oxnard, California), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1977-1981. His nickname was "Bird". , a Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. executive and president of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade. ``That was a surprise.'' The Boxer talk was just one in a whirlwind of meetings and briefings Antelope Valley civic leaders attended last week during their visit to Washington to lobby on defense and aerospace issues. The delegation crammed their schedule with meetings with Pentagon officials, aerospace lobbyists, and members of Congress and their staffs. ``The main thing is to stir the pot,'' said Howard Brooks, executive director of the Board of Trade, which was organized 41 years ago to lobby for projects that could boost the Antelope Valley's economy. ``With the consistency of coming every year, people know who you are.'' In addition to Parrott and Brooks, the delegation included Palmdale Councilwoman Shelly Sorsabel; California Portland Cement portland cement Binding agent of present-day concrete. It is a finely ground powder made by burning and grinding a limestone mixed with clay or shale. Its inventor, Joseph Aspdin (1799–1855), patented the process in 1824, naming the material for its resemblance to the Co. manager Janice Kimrey; Rancho Vista developer Gregg Anderson; Lancaster Chamber of Commerce President Mary Ryckebosch, and former Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. executive Bob Johnstone. The delegation hit on three main themes in their meetings: support the Southwest Defense Complex, a concept that calls for consolidating all of the military's test and evaluation work in the Southwest; work to bring jobs from the coming production of the joint strike fighter A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. to California; and help level the playing field between defense contractors and military bases when they compete for the depot maintenance That maintenance performed on materiel requiring major overhaul or a complete rebuild of parts, assemblies, subassemblies, and end-items, including the manufacture of parts, modifications, testing, and reclamation as required. of weapon systems. From the start of its three-day visit the delegation began picking up useful information: an Air Force general said he has no fear of Edwards Air Force Base being closed, but that the base needs to improve its sewer and water systems; a Defense Department official said a single management structure for test and evaluation work is being considered; lobbyists said the balanced budget Balanced budget A budget in which the income equals expenditure. See: budget. balanced budget A budget in which the expenditures incurred during a given period are matched by revenues. agreement will prevent the usual increases Congress puts into the defense budget; and members of Congress said they oppose additional base closures. On Capitol Hill, everyone moves as if they are 20 minutes late for a meeting. Among the crowd, the congressional staffers are easily spotted - young and smartly dressed. Wire-frame glasses seem to be part of the dress code for the men, giving them, in Brooks' words, a geeky look. After meeting one staffer, Brooks remarked, ``I don't think he's old enough to drink.'' These young people can help you, one lobbyist advised the group - they help shape their Congress member's view of issues. ``They have their own power in a way,'' the lobbyist said. The brisk pace took its toll on the delegation at times. While riding the Metro - Washington's subway - on the umpteenth trip to the House members' complex of office buildings, Johnstone asked, ``Wonder how many miles we've logged on our feet?'' At every opportunity, the delegation popped in on California congressional representatives, dropping off information about how the Antelope Valley's aerospace industry affects their home districts. ``We let them (California congress members) know they will be hearing from us,'' Brooks said. |
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