0001| HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 85 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| M. MICHAEL OLGUIN | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| A JOINT MEMORIAL | 0011| PROTESTING THE TRANSFER OF THE OPTICS SUPPORT FUNCTION OF THE | 0012| NORTH RANGE OF THE STALLION RANGE CENTER TO HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE | 0013| BASE, THUS TRANSFERRING TWENTY JOBS FROM THE COMMUNITY OF | 0014| SOCORRO. | 0015| | 0016| WHEREAS, in early January, 1997, the optics support | 0017| function of the north range of the Stallion range center of | 0018| White Sands missile range was transferred to Holloman air force | 0019| base; and | 0020| WHEREAS, this transfer resulted in the loss of twenty jobs | 0021| from the Socorro area; and | 0022| WHEREAS, these employees were offered only the options of | 0023| showing up for work at the new location three hours away, | 0024| taking early retirement or losing their jobs; and | 0025| WHEREAS, it is believed, but as yet is unconfirmed by the | 0001| employer, that moving this optics support function was not to | 0002| comply with a scientific need related to performing the work | 0003| but rather to possibly save money by reducing salary costs of | 0004| senior and experienced employees, most of whom have between | 0005| twenty and twenty-five years of experience; and | 0006| WHEREAS, three of these employees have separated from the | 0007| job because of this undue hardship; and | 0008| WHEREAS, in recent weeks, the seventeen Socorro residents | 0009| who now commute weekly in order to keep their jobs and support | 0010| their families have found themselves being offered compensation | 0011| to drive from Holloman back up to the north range of the | 0012| Stallion range center to perform daily the same optics support | 0013| function work they were assigned to prior to their unit being | 0014| relocated to the Alamogordo air base; and | 0015| WHEREAS, knowledgeable financial computations on the | 0016| matter give no hint of savings simply by moving the unit from | 0017| the Stallion range to the Holloman base; and | 0018| WHEREAS, many of these employees have families who now | 0019| live with the emotional strain of having only one parent most | 0020| of the week; and | 0021| WHEREAS, in a community of approximately eight thousand | 0022| persons, the loss of income from twenty jobs means a very | 0023| noticeable impact on local revenue, including gross receipts | 0024| revenue; and | 0025| WHEREAS, unemployment in the Socorro area averaged over | 0001| nine percent for calendar year 1996; and | 0002| WHEREAS, the Socorro city council, the Socorro county | 0003| commission, the greater Socorro area chamber of commerce and | 0004| the Socorro public school district administration have all | 0005| strongly protested the transfer of these jobs from the Stallion | 0006| range; | 0007| NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE | 0008| STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico congressional | 0009| delegation and the governor of New Mexico be requested to use | 0010| every available means to return these optics support function | 0011| jobs to the north range of the Stallion range center on a | 0012| permanent basis; and | 0013| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the optics support unit is | 0014| returned to the north range of the Stallion range center, the | 0015| contractor administrating the work offer to rehire the three | 0016| employees who separated due to the location shift; and | 0017| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the administration of the | 0018| White Sands missile range and its various contractors take into | 0019| serious consideration the financial impact on local communities | 0020| as they rearrange their corporate economies; and | 0021| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be | 0022| sent to the Socorro city council, the Socorro county | 0023| commission, the greater Socorro area chamber of commerce, the | 0024| commander of the White Sands missile range, the commander of | 0025| Holloman air force base, each member of New Mexico's | 0001| congressional delegation and the governor. State of New Mexico | 0002| House of Representatives | 0003| | 0004| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0005| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| March 15, 1997 | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| Mr. Speaker: | 0012| | 0013| Your BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE, to whom | 0014| has been referred | 0015| | 0016| HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 85 | 0017| | 0018| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0019| recommendation that it DO PASS. | 0020| | 0021| Respectfully submitted, | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| Fred Luna, Chairman | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| Adopted Not Adopted | 0006| | 0007| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0008| | 0009| Date | 0010| | 0011| The roll call vote was 10 For 0 Against | 0012| Yes: 10 | 0013| Excused: Getty, Rodella, Varela | 0014| Absent: None | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\HJ085 |