Because these bases were a way for the local senator/congressman to show the people back home that he was bringing the bacon home. The Senate ended up establishing a commission to decide which bases were to be closed.
This type of passing the buck by our representatives is not new.
Many federal agencies have been created over the years to do work that the elected representatives did not wont to have to take the responsibility for with their votes in the House or Senate.
Things like the EPA, HUD, etc. came into existence.
This past week I came across an article discussing the Supreme Court and the Trump appointments so far and the people on his list should we be fortunate and have Trump appoint a few more Supreme Court justices.
The article discussed what cases the Court has recently ruled on and what is working its way to them.
Cases like the Union Dues issue, the EPA's navigable waters issue are the beginning.
The article happily pointed out that the bureaucracy overreach is being addressed and that this will lead to a reduction in the size and scope of the Federal G'ment.
The new Court members see the Federal bureaucracy as UN-Constitutional over-reach.
Forcing the House and Senate to vote on legislation, making then accountable to the voting public is a good start.
Trump's spring declaration that he will NOT sign another omnibus budget bill is an additional sign of what I hope is a return to a Constitutional Republic that has made the world a better place
Back from Mass. We have a new parish priest from Poland. Said he became a priest because of Saint John Paul II and Ronald Reagan! Did a great homily on 9/11, called Islam a grave danger to Christianity and Western Civilization, and then rebuked the child molesters and homosexuals in the church. Got a standing ovation!!!
On the base closures,I joined the Air Force in 1976. By the time I retired in 1998, I think about 50 bases, once big and important, had been closed. 1919 all over again.