VENTURA BASE SOCKED PANEL REJECTS STAFF RECOMMENDATION; VOTES TO SHIFT WORKERS TO CHINA LAKE FACILITY.

Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - In a sweeping blow to Ventura County, the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted overwhelmingly Thursday to shift more than 2,000 Naval Base Ventura County jobs to the High Desert of Kern County.

The commission voted 6-1 to reject the staff recommendation that would have kept the Ventura County facility fully operational. But it unanimously recommended keeping about 380 employees at Point Mugu's Electronic Warfare Division that had been set to shift to China Lake at Ridgecrest.

Combined with the commission's decision Wednesday to allow about 1,100 Naval Surface Warfare Center employees to remain in Norco rather than relocate to Point Mugu, officials say Ventura County would lose about 5,000 military-related jobs in coming years.

``This is a bad day for the military. This is a bad day for Ventura County,'' said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks. ``(The base) is an important factor not just in the local economy, but in the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County regional economy.''

Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, expressed reservations about the willingness of Ventura County workers to make the transfer ``from a civilized world out to god-forsaken Kern County.''

``The decision makes no economic sense,'' he said. ``This is certainly not what any of us wanted.''

Naval Base Ventura County provides about 17,000 military and civilian jobs and generates approximately $1.2 billion locally each year. The base includes operations at Port Hueneme, San Nicholas Island and Point Mugu, and oversees activities in a 36,000-square-mile sea test range in the Pacific Ocean.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to comment, but members of the Ventura County BRAC Task Force expressed dismay.

``This is a significant loss to our community and to our county,'' said County Supervisor Kathy Long, co-chairwoman of the Ventura County BRAC Task Force. ``We put forth a strong argument to protect our base in Ventura County. It's not over. We still intend to work this issue and present to the (federal) commission that they made a big mistake.''

Task force members said they plan to talk to the panel, analyze its decision and develop a long-term plan. They expect the transfer of jobs to China Lake will begin in about a year and take about six years to complete.

``Even though a decision has been made, the war is not over,'' said Bill Simmons, a consultant to the task force. ``Some of those jobs we are confident will stay here.''

But some experts said the job transfers may have minimal impact in Ventura County, where unemployment is at a historic low. The impact could be even less if a large number of workers do not move with their jobs.

``The labor markets are very tight in Ventura County right now, and workers who don't elect to go with the base probably could find alternative work in the region,'' said Mark Schniepp, director of the California Economic Forecast.

Arlene Fraser, president and CEO of the Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce, said the biggest toll will be on the families that have to relocate.

``That's what we were hoping to prevent,'' Fraser said. ``It will impact the community. That will be sad news.''

In their vote to shift the jobs to China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, commissioners ignored the warnings of Ventura County employees who said they would not relocate and who decried the loss of highly skilled workers if they did.

``I believe the justification is well-stated,'' BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi said, adding that the potential cost savings was too significant to ignore.

The Pentagon maintains that relocating all of Point Mugu's weapons research development, testing and evaluation systems - the largest portion of the naval base - to Ridgecrest would save $433 million after a one-time cost of $343.3 million.

It also argues that the move would increase efficiency and eliminate redundant work at the two bases, both of which already operate under the same command.

Commissioner James Bilbray was the only member of the panel who fought for the naval base. Commissioner Philip Coyle, a Californian, recused himself from the vote.

Bilbray called Ventura County ``one of the best places in the world to live'' and said he believes the Navy will lose significant numbers of workers with critical weapons knowledge. He also questioned the need to consolidate at all.

``It's a beautiful base, it works well. Just to move them out and spend all this money is something I'm very concerned about. It's moving for moving's sake,'' he said.

The big winner of the day was Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, who is chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and whose district includes China Lake.

Local officials said they believe it is not a coincidence that the military windfall went to Thomas' district.

Sherman noted that the BRAC decision came on the heels of a major highway bill that sank $722 million into Kern County - nearly $1,000 for every one of Thomas' constituents, compared with about $64 per Los Angeles County resident.

``In the last six weeks, Bill Thomas' Kern County has just gotten way more than it deserves, and I know that Thomas has just enormous clout,'' Sherman said. Of the BRAC vote, he added, ``all the rules are twisted again to benefit Kern County.''

Thomas' spokesman James Min said the congressman did not exert special influence on the process, noting that the Pentagon made the recommendations.

``Overall, looking at the decisions that were made and the decisions that needed to be made, the conclusions were appropriate,'' Thomas said in a statement.

Staff Writers Naush Boghossian, Angie Valencia-Martinez, Eric Leach and Josh Kleinbaum contributed to this report.

Lisa Friedman, [phone]

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

REGIONAL IMPACT

--The federal BRAC Commission recommended on Thursday transferring 2,257 jobs from Naval Base Ventura County's Weapons, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation divisions to the China Lake Naval Weapons Station in Kern County.

--An additional 379 jobs in the Electronic Warfare Division will remain at Ventura County.

--On Wednesday, the BRAC Commission voted against moving nearly 900 jobs from the Naval Surface Warfare System facility in Norco to Point Mugu.

--Officials estimated an indirect loss of 5,022 jobs, including support personnel.

--The commission will continue to meet today to weigh hundreds more of the Pentagon's 837 recommended closures and realignments.

--The panel must send its final recommendations to President George W. Bush by Sept. 8. He has until Sept. 23 to accept the package or send it back one time for revisions before forwarding it to Congress.

--The House and Senate must then either approve or reject the entire plan without amendments.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Henry Cortez of Oxnard walks past an F-14 Tomcat on display at Naval Base Ventura County, which stands to lose more than 2,000 jobs after a federal commission's decision Thursday.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box: REGIONAL IMPACT (see text)