Military To Be A Boon For Guam, Says Bice
(Pacific Daily News)
The U.S. military buildup on Guam, led by 8,000 U.S. Marines, will mean tax revenues on some $300,000 million in armed forces payroll for the Guam territorial government, the Pacific Daily News reports.
The figure was quoted by retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice, head of the U.S. Dept. of Defense office that is overseeing the projected $15 billion buildup on the island. He spoke at the first of a series of community meetings on Guam about the planned 10-year project.
Bice also said the Marines who will move to Guam are young, high-tech-oriented consumers who will also contribute to the local economy as they shop and dine, the newspaper reported.
The 8,000 Marines will be accompanied by an estimated 9,000 family members. They now live on Okinawa. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force are also planning to increase the size of their forces on Guam.
http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS01/805130322/1002
