I applaud the ruling by Superior Court Judge Edward Burke that requires Maricopa County to comply with state law and stop issuing residential building permits near Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix.
This decision will directly impact Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, which is under consideration by the Department of Defense as a future home of the Joint Strike Fighter. This new stealth fighter jet, also known as the F-35A, is expected to begin joining the service in 2012.
Luke and Davis-Monthan, along with Arizona's seven other military installations, pump billions of dollars every year into our state's economy and generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. According to a July state Department of Commerce report, the U.S. military is the fifth largest sector of Arizona's economy, accounting for nearly 100,000 jobs and $9.1 billion in 2005, the most recent year for which numbers are available.
With our state and national economy laboring through the most severe recession in generations, this is not time to threaten a powerful and reliable economic engine.
Judge Burke's ruling establishes a clear precedent that Arizona is serious about protecting its military installations from residential encroachment and development. But it also represents a win for communities near our Air Force bases because it will protect them from noise and other potential safety issues.