Business Retention & Attraction Strategies: CA’s Military Readiness & Related Jobs
Preserving and Strengthening California’s Military Readiness & Related Jobs
The Issue/Challenge
California’s military installations are vital to our country’s national security, and military spending plays a critical role in providing more than one million jobs in California that fuel the economy. For several years, military and defense communities have been among the targets of federal budget fights, resulting in cuts in military spending of between $500 billion to $1 trillion over the coming decade. Once again Department of Defense is asking for Congress’ permission to initiate a Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) in 2017, citing the expense of maintaining what the department calls excess infrastructure. The Army is already slated to shrink its active-duty strength by up to 25% by 2020. There are 29 military defense installations in California – more than double that of any other state – so the severe cuts in the defense budget weigh heavily on our state. As a result of these factors, several installations in the Southern California region are at risk of losing some missions and functions, along with related jobs.
The Southern California Leadership Council’s Position
The Southern California Leadership Council supports efforts to preserve and strengthen California’s defense complex, which is vital to the security of the nation, and to protect and grow the jobs and economic infusion that are generated by the military’s presence in the state.