[HCCN] "Drones" flight center in Maine

[Judith Robbins]

see below for Rep.Pingree's position on this...

From: "Global Network" <globalnet at mindspring.com>
Date: July 14, 2009 2:55:21 PM EDT

Just say ‘no’ to drones

http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2009/07/14/opinion/letters/ 
doc4a5cc5d1149b8887888917.txt
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Times Record
Our organization has become quite concerned that the town of  
Brunswick might soon become a host test facility for the “Unmanned  
Aerial Vehicle” (drones) that are today being used by the Pentagon in  
Afghanistan-Pakistan and that are killing many innocent civilians.

These weapons, flown by pilots sitting in chairs at bases in Nevada  
and New Mexico, are called the Predator and the Reaper. They are  
outfitted with missiles and offer the United States a so-called  
"hands-off" way of killing people on the ground.

We have learned that there are now plans under way to try to turn the  
Brunswick Naval Air Station into the Brunswick Unmanned Flight  
Center, where these dreadful killing drones would be flight tested.  
We’ve also learned that there was a possibility the drones from BNAS  
would be flying up and down the Maine coast peering at boats and  
people for "homeland security" reasons.

Some time ago we saw a reference in The Times Record quoting John  
Richardson, commissioner of Maine’s Department of Economic and  
Community Development, saying he wanted to bring these drones to  
BNAS.  Lately, though, the story seems to have gone underground.

We strongly oppose basing or flight testing these Unmanned Aerial  
Vehicles at BNAS.

We don’t want our community involved in the expanding war in Central  
Asia nor do we need these drones spying on the people of Maine.

We believe there are many other fine ideas for usage of the closing  
naval air station and hope that our elected officials will ensure we  
don't turn our community into such a test center.

In peace,

Maureen Block, Bob Dale, Christine DeTroy, Bruce Gagnon, Rosalie  
Tyler Paul, Selma Sternlieb, Mary Beth Sullivan, Karen Wainberg as  
members of PeaceWorks in Brunswick
  -------------------------------------------------
Rep. Chellie Pingree has request $12,750,000 for the Brunswick  
Unmanned Flight Center.  See below for more details:
Unmanned Flight Center, Brunswick, Maine
http://pingree.house.gov/legis/appropriations-requests.shtml
As your Member of Congress, I am committed to doing everything I can  
to support the economic and community development important to the  
people of the First District—that means fighting for the federal  
investments in our community that can grow our economy and create jobs.

Below you will find a list of all the appropriations requests that  
have been made of my office. Working with my staff and a team of  
members of the community, we measure each request against these basic  
core principles:

Retention and creation of jobs in Maine
Long-term economic development and stability
Support of ongoing, valued, community based projects
$12,750,000

Grifin, LLC
10 Mast Ln, Brunswick ME 04011 No Fax

Continuing operations at NAS Brunswick as an Unmanned Flight Center  
is a means to utilize this multi-billion dollar asset to its full  
potential. The transition will help close an eminent national  
security gap, revitalize the regional economy that is suffering from  
the BRAC closure of the base, provide job retention and creation and  
lead to the development of a technology center for the emerging $62  
Billion unmanned flight industry. The Unmanned Flight Center meets  
specific DoD objectives for the integration of unmanned flight and  
associated sensor technology, DOT (FAA) objectives for airspace  
integration regarding unmanned flight, and DHS objectives regarding  
Border Patrol and Coast Guard operations.



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