BOND SAYS GUARD IS SAFE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond brought some good news to Cape Girardeau Saturday.

"We'll have the National Guard here another year," said Bond, who joined some community leaders east of the National Guard Armory Saturday to reveal his good news and to criticize Geri Rothman-Serot's proposal to slash $150 billion from the nation's defense budget.

"The Senate followed my recommendations Wednesday to retain budgeting for National Guard units," said Bond, co-chairman of the Senate National Guard Caucus. "The House followed suit."

Rothman-Serot, Bond's Democratic opponent in the general election in November, proposed the $150 billion defense cut in July.

"Rothman-Serot's plan would wipe out almost every guard unit in Missouri," said Bond. "Units that have existed here more than 100 years would disappear overnight, costing the state almost 200,000 jobs, since defense is a major state industry and the National Guard is a major employee.

"This plan would mean the elimination of the 1140th Engineer Battalion, which has units in Cape Girardeau, Charleston, Sikeston, Portageville, Perryville, Fredericktown and Farmington," said Bond. "This would leave no engineer units in the eastern part of the state to respond to an earthquake or other natural disaster."

Bond said Rothman-Serot's plan would also eliminate the 135th Engineer Group in Cape Girardeau, the 1221st Transportation Company in Dexter and the 735th Support Battalion in Poplar Bluff.

On hand during Bond's announcement Saturday were Jackson Mayor Carlton Meyer, who was affiliated with the National Guard 35 years; Norval Randol, a former National Guard general; Bob Hendrix, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce; Blair Moran, Missouri chairman for Veterans for Bush and Quayle; state Rep. Mary Kasten, and others.

"Rothlman-Serot clearly doesn't understand the importance of these units in our emergency response plans for earthquakes," said Meyer. "Perhaps if she had spent some time down here over the past few months talking to us, she would have an appreciation for our concerns, especially our vulnerability to a major earthquake."

Hendrix said that jobs lost would be disastrous to the area's economy.

"The name of the game is jobs," he said. "Rothman-Serot's proposal would cost the Southeast Missouri region at least 1,100 good-paying jobs, and millions of dollars in economic activity."

Randol said the Rothman-Serot proposal would destroy the U.S. military. He quoted a report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office saying that her proposal would "render all combat units instantly unready," and that all training would likely cease.

"Our National Guard units showed us what they could do in the Gulf, and they have shown what they're made of by responding to floods and other natural disasters here at home," said Randol. "Rothman-Serot's plan would destroy these units and leave us unable to respond to military situations at the national level or natural disasters at the local level."

Moran told Bond he was proud to have someone like Bond to help keep the military at its best.

"I don't know what would have happened to the U.S. in the Gulf without the type of weapons that we have," said Moran.

Bond said he had supported some base closings in the past and has voted down some unneeded military procurements.

"But I know that we need the National Guard," he said. "During my eight years as governor of Missouri I had to call out the National Guard several times for floods and other emergencies."

Bond said he would continue to fight for the National Guard.

"Each year it's a new battle, said Bond. "But I'm ready to lead the battle to keep our National Guard."