The Base Re-alignment Commission

Military base re-alignment has never been a pleasant thought for personnel in the armed services. These re-alignments which began in l988 never cease to upset. The bottom line is the Department of Defense is trying to save money. Can you repeat that please? While we are pouring billions of dollars into an unnecessary war in Iraq, our Department of Defense is attempting to squeeze extra dollars by closing certain military bases and re-positioning those troops in other areas. Ft. Bragg, North Carolina was been at the butt of this process since it began in l988 under President Ronald Reagan. His decision to relocate 30,000 troops to Ft. Bragg changed the city of Fayetteville forever. The small town feel of Fayetteville changed, and in response to the influx of personnel urban sprawl began. While Bragg Boulevard has always been the main thoroughfare from the post to downtown Fayetteville, the flow of automobile traffic consciously was diverted in another direction. Skibo Road or the 401 Bypass became the new “strip.” This simply was a right hand turn off Ft. Bragg diverting traffic to the Cross Creek Mall area. The mall and surrounding land had always been somewhat rural, and that was its appeal. J.P. Riddle owned much of the land around the mall, and he sat on it for a very long time until its value increased exponentially. There was corn growing for the longest time beside our Best Products store. When the decision was made to make 401 the “new” Bragg Boulevard, someone must have made a lot of money. I’m not sure what the thought process was. Someone decided the destination of downtown was not appropriate for G.I.’s, because downtown was not urban sprawl. It was the typical downtown of a small southern town. During that era Sears, Belks, the Capital, and J.C. Penny had department stores down there. There were several movie theaters. The Colony was one of them. The strip of Hay St. known as the 500 block was inhabited by clubs. The Korean Lounge, Rick’s, and the Pink Pussycat were all familiar names to young military men looking for recreational diversion. Neon lights and marquees dotted Hay street, and there was no lacking for a place to drink beer, watch strippers, and get rowdy. That changed because one particular social conscience decided it was not appropriate. This property was bought up and the bars were forced out. Downtown has never recovered. Over the decades several attempts have been made to revitalize the area, but to no avail. They laid “Old Country” styled brick on the streets and sidewalks. They put in expensive black wrought iron lampposts and urns. They made the block surrounding our Market House a walking only mall. None of these succeeded in bringing the necessary commerce. A value judgment was made that a G.I.’s dollars should be more wisely spent on “other” activities. I would like to question that decision. As time passed their philosophy slowly emerged. While once Fayetteville had a handful of recognizable restaurants (Chi Chi’s, Bennigans, Darryls, and Ruby Tuesdays) urban sprawl offered the opportunity of a cavalcade of new “theme” oriented restaurants. The seed was sown, and the Cross Creek Mall area went from relaxed and recreational to urban and frenetic. Over two decades urban planning seemed to be chucked into the wind and a potpourri of businesses opened helter skelter. It has never recovered its class. Instead masses of military people are “serviced” at the most basic level. Wal Mart is consistently sold out of its products, and Cross Creek Mall offers only the most basic items. Most middle-classed residents of Fayetteville began doing their shopping out-of-town. Merchants inevitable love this way of life. G.I.’s that are stuck in the field all day playing war, in a knee jerk reaction seeking happiness and recreation spend their dollars on over-priced vehicles and unnecessary products. In a more traditional America the basic activities of leisure would provide the necessary relief from war-time stress. America has been transforming our cultural heritage constantly for the last two decades. The down-to-earth models of relaxing and blowing off steam have not even been out sourced but eliminated, so that people have no choice but to spend their money. The best example of this can be seen on Woodrow St. where their park was selfishly taken over by two imposing cell phone towers. PWC or the Public Works Commission fenced off the park like a Soviet military base and proceeded to erect two tall antenna arrays. No Trespassing signs were placed on the fences, and the swing sets and teeter totters became the playthings of ghosts only. Eventually the city placed the microwave transmitters back atop the large water tower on the property, but the encompassing and exclusionary wall has yet to be removed. In California a law was passed prohibiting cell phone towers being place in close proximity to schools. Here they are in the middle of a park. In this way it can be see there is a mafia in the American South. It operates in tandem with government and the well-being of affluent citizens is what is protected. The possibility of democracy exists, but as in most Republican led contingencies the “little guy” is squashed like a bug. The way of Fayetteville has been premeditated, and that plan continues with the newest wave of base closures and re-alignment. Fayetteville’s infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle the amount of military personnel here now. It certainly will be a disservice to the 30,000 newly arriving military and civilian workers. As our troops continue to be abused and humiliated at the hands of the George W. Bush White House, they will continue to be disserviced living in the urban sprawl of Fayettenam. Considering Ft. Bragg is going to become home to the Base Re-Alignment Commission itself and more officers than any other area of the country, you could have hoped for a more metropolitan destination. Fayetteville has never been home to that, because one small group of elite businessmen have controlled it for the longest time. As I realize everyday real culture is an enemy to real money, because artistic enlightenment is not concerned with monetary gain. Allowing human beings to become actualized and happy through culture is counter to the business model of making people buy because they are starved of real life. Thus Fayetteville is the perfect mecca of Old Money and the perfect location for base re-alignment.