Another reason for Legacy

No one can say for sure whether the lack of a Legacy Parkway will weigh heavily against Hill Air Force Base during the next round of base closures. But what can be said for certain is that this round is going to be brutal on many bases and the communities that surround them. Hill, and the Wasatch Front, need every advantage available.

The Department of Defense plans to close a quarter of the nation's military infrastructure, which translates into about 425 bases. Some of those will be reduced in size. Many others will be closed completely.

The last round of closures showed how political the process can become. The commission recommended closing bases in California and Texas, but President Clinton tried desperately to privatize those bases in order to keep them in business. That was a transparent effort to save jobs, and subsequently votes, in important electoral states, despite a thorough process that found those bases wanting.

Utah, of course, has little political clout, and its record of voting Republican through the last 36 years of presidential contests makes it a virtually risk-free victim for either party. Republicans can pretty much count on continued support here whether Hill leaves or not.

So every little advantage counts.

Hill Air Force Base scored well in the last round of closures. If merits are the primary concern, it will do well. But politics and other factors will always enter in.

Davis County officials say the Legacy Parkway is important for national security, as well as for the flow of traffic. Without an alternate way to get between the Air Force base and points south, the movement of military equipment could be jeopardized in the event of a traffic-clogging accident.

To the environmentalists who sued to stop construction of the parkway, that sounds like nonsense. But the fact that it was mentioned and evaluated during the first round of base closures means the argument has some merit.

What is nonsense, however, is the argument that a Legacy Parkway will somehow add to traffic and pollution in Davis County. The traffic already exists. It clogs I-15 daily, and the congestion already causes pollution. Legacy isn't a means toward sprawling development. It is a way to deal with the sprawling development that already exists. The highway, combined with a mass-transit rail system, will help, not hurt, the environment.

Hill Air Force Base is of tremendous importance to the local economy. It is one of the largest employers in the state. Surely there are many reasons to build the Legacy Parkway. Hill's fight for survival is one more.