San Francisco Moves to Boot U.S. Navy's Blue Angels
The Examiner reports that CodePink, Global Exchange and Veterans for Peace, Chapter 69, are working with Supervisor Chris Daly on a Board of Supervisors resolution to address concerns over the Blue Angels.
Daly told The Examiner he is considering a call to halt the flyovers because, he said, "they seem dangerous and unnecessary." Daly said he plans on introducing the resolution as early as Tuesday, but is still drafting the language. A resolution is not legally binding, but states a board position.
KCBS spoke with one of the anti-war groups about their efforts to shut down the Blue Angels.
"They're weapons of mass destruction and there's really nothing, I think, about them that people should think of as being good or desirable," said Paul Cox with Veterans for Peace. "In a time where we've got a war going on in Iraq, it brings images of the kinds of death and destruction these things rain down on people around the world."
The Blue Angels flying overhead during the Fleet Week festivities has been the pinnacle of Fleet Week since 1981. The Blue Angels bring approximately $4 million into San Francisco during Fleet Week weekend. The San Francisco mayor's office is opposing the legislation to give the Blue Angels the boot. Daly has promised to introduce the legislation on Tuesday.
Edward Leonard, long-time chair of Fleet Week told KCBS San Francisco that, "without the Blue Angels flying overhead, the other activities do not amount to much."
"I think this kind of thing would be a shame. A lot of people love the Blue Angels and love Fleet Week and it would be very distressing for them if it wasn't here," he said.
Leonard also told KCBS San Francisco that other objections raised by the anti-war groups, such as noise pollution and safety, in an attempt to block the Blue Angels are also unmerited.
"The FAA approves all their maneuvers. Most of the difficult maneuvers and high turn maneuvers are done in an air show box over the Bay that's kept clear of vessels and people."
This is not the only example of what some cite as San Francisco's anti-military bias. In 2005, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted against docking the WWII/Korean War-era USS Iowa as a floating museum at the Port of San Francisco, according to SFGate.com. This was after the local Congressional delegation secured $3 million to move the Iowa from Rhode Island to San Francisco because a study had shown the ship would bring in 500,000 visitors a year.
Code Pink has launched an on-line petition calling for support to block the Blue Angels from Fleet Week. The anti-war group is citing public safety, air pollution and fuel waste as the primary reasons for their objection to the participation of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels in San Francisco Fleet Week. So far, there are approximately 500 signatures on the petition.
Sources:
Daly backs move to ground Blue Angels show, June 7, 2007, http://www.examiner.com/a-768103~Daly%20backs%20move%20to%20ground%20Blue%20Angels%20show.html (San Francisco, Blue Angels, Code Pink, Fleet Week, Veterans for Peace, Global Exchange)
Blue Angels Show At SF Fleet Week Faces Opposition, (CBS 5 / KCBS)SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 2007, http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_158221847.html
Move Afoot to Give Blue Angels the Boot, KCBS San Francisco, http://www.kcbs.com/pages/558108.php?contentType=4&contentId=589787(San Francisco, Blue Angels, Code Pink, Fleet Week, Veterans for Peace, Global Exchange)
(San Francisco, Blue Angels, Code Pink, Fleet Week, Veterans for Peace, Global Exchange)OPINION: San Francisco Declares Itself a Military-Free Zone, SFGate.com, August 24, 2005, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2005/08/24/cstillwell.DTL(San Francisco, Blue Angels, Code Pink, Fleet Week, Veterans for Peace, Global Exchange)
Published by Kimberly West
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15 Comments
Post a CommentHas anybody reading this kept up with the jet noise controversy surrounding Fentress Field and Oceana? Perhaps former U.S. senator Phil Gramm was right when he quoted "We are a nation of whiners!"!
of a statement to say, all the money hungry people in goverment. P.S I gots a brand new Hummer, stay green people, long live the Empior.
I lived in NYC during 9/11, 10 blocks from ground zero. Hearing these planes scream over my apartment all afternoon has been extremely unpleasant and caused countless unpleasant memories to surface.
It is extremely irresponsible to allow ANY plane fly so close to ANY urban area. I will be leaving SF because of this.
I was born and raised and San Francisco and one of the biggest and the most exciting thing that San Francisco can offered are the Blue Angels and Fleet Week they are our pride and what does San Francisco do slap them in the face My son -in -law served 10 years in the military and 1 year in IRAQ thank GOD he game home alive,This is our way of honoring the men and women of our armed forces to show our appreication to them for protecting us in this time of war,Thank God for the military Chris Daly can go to hell as for as i'm concern how dare you,You should go to war and then lets here you down out military you sick ass..
San Fransisco, you are a disgrace. You absolutely love and honor a steroid using baseball player whose is grossly overpaid but won't honor the men and women who protect your freedoms every day. "Dangerous and unnecessary"...only if you are talking about your own city. Not only should the Blue Angels boycott your city, but president Bush should pull all military bases, personnel and affiliates and move them to area where they will be appreciated. After all, you must not need the revenue. Thank god I'm not from your country. I live in Pennsylvania, a proud member of the United States of America!
One day that 9.0 earthquake will send San Francisco to the bottom of the Pacific. It will be a day of great celebration for the rest of California and the United States.
stupid faggots
this is another reason why people keep moving out of cali, the minority acting like a mob telling the rest what to think or do. I say move fleet week to another city that would appreciate the blue angels flying over head and the money they generate.
WOW... I guess San Francisco is OFF the list for possible vacation destinations!
Low flying aircraft the sound of freedom. It's that simple.