By Longoria                                           H.R. No. 1210
       74R14301 JLZ-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Its history and economy long intertwined with the
    1-2  various military installations in and around the city, San Antonio
    1-3  is proud of the role it has played in our country's system of
    1-4  national security, a role that has greatly benefited the nation,
    1-5  the community, and the countless individuals who have served in
    1-6  both civilian and military capacities over the years; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, Among those who have benefited the most from this
    1-8  longstanding relationship between the military and the community
    1-9  have been San Antonio's Hispanics, who have enjoyed unparalleled
   1-10  opportunities for economic advancement through the jobs these bases
   1-11  have afforded; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, The impact of the various bases on the local economy
   1-13  and on the economic well-being of Hispanics in the city cannot be
   1-14  underestimated; the ninth largest city in the U.S., San Antonio is
   1-15  one of the nation's truly multicultural cities with a population
   1-16  that is 54 percent Hispanic, many of whom enjoy a measure of
   1-17  prosperity that otherwise would be unattainable but for the jobs
   1-18  created by the presence of such a large employer in the area; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, This well-established avenue for upward mobility for
   1-20  a minority population historically hindered by higher-than-average
   1-21  poverty rates, low income, and poor job opportunities has been
   1-22  jeopardized by the placement of two of the area's most important
   1-23  bases, Brooks Air Force Base and Kelly Air Force Base, on the
   1-24  Department of Defense list of military facilities to be reviewed by
    2-1  the 1995 Base Closure and Realignment Commission; and
    2-2        WHEREAS,  The Kelly AFB workforce includes approximately
    2-3  6,500 Hispanics, who earn an average of $27,000 per year, an annual
    2-4  income 25 percent higher than the mean income for San Antonio's
    2-5  average Hispanic worker; another 18,600 Hispanics work in jobs that
    2-6  are attributable to its presence in the community; and
    2-7        WHEREAS, These 25,100 jobs made possible by operations at
    2-8  Kelly AFB together with the sizable number of jobs filled by
    2-9  Hispanics at Brooks AFB represent opportunities for advancement in
   2-10  socioeconomic status that would be lost if the base were to be
   2-11  closed; and
   2-12        WHEREAS, The impact of the proposed closures on Department of
   2-13  Defense operations also would be severe; Kelly AFB is at the heart
   2-14  of the Department of Defense's strategic air lift and boasts the
   2-15  best aeronautical engine depot in the department, while Brooks AFB
   2-16  has been a critical asset to the department with its nationally
   2-17  renowned biomedical research and teaching activities; and
   2-18        WHEREAS, These base closings also would have a negative
   2-19  impact on the Department of Defense's workforce and its affirmative
   2-20  action programs; operations at the bases benefit from a quality
   2-21  workforce that is not only highly skilled, efficient, and dedicated
   2-22  but ethnically diverse as well, and closing the bases would not
   2-23  only devastate San Antonio's rising Hispanic economic middle class
   2-24  but would raise concerns throughout the state's minority
   2-25  populations about the federal government's commitment to minority
   2-26  populations in general; now, therefore, be it
   2-27        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    3-1  Legislature hereby express its support for the retention of Kelly
    3-2  Air Force Base and Brooks Air Force Base and the vital mission they
    3-3  serve as critical components in our national security system.