Issue: Hill Air Force Base
Date: March 19, 2004
Author: Ken Larsen

Next to all the successful businessmen, politicians and X-Sheriff, sat Dr. Ken Larsen, UofU Associate Professor, at the "Meet the Candidates Night" in Weber County. An important issue for the attendees was the possible closure or downsizing of Hill Air Force Base. Larsen missed the opportunity to address this important issue and hereby releases the following statement:

"I apologize for the lecture, but this issue does warrant some discussion. One of my fellow candidates predicted an economic disaster, similar to the Great Depression, in the local communities, following possible closure of Hill Field. I do not doubt the truth of that prediction.

"A wise man once said the truth would make us free. What I am about to say may cost me the votes of some citizens in Weber and Davis Counties, but truth and freedom are more important than votes. The truth is that politics and thermodynamics share some important rules. The First Law of Thermodynamics says energy and matter cannot be created from nothing. They can be transformed and transferred, but they cannot come from nothing. Likewise, government cannot create wealth from nothing. Whether it comes through direct taxation, higher interest rates or inflation, everything the government spends must, eventually, come from the economy. The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that no matter how efficient a process is, you will always get less out than you put in. Some energy is always lost, usually in the form of useless heat. Again, that law applies to government. No matter how efficient you make the government, it will always take more from the economy than it can possibly return. Some wealth is always lost in the transfer process.

"It is unwise, therefore, to consider the economic consequences of closing Hill. For every hundred jobs the government is providing at Hill, there are more than a hundred jobs not being provided by the private sector. The fact that those jobs do not exist, and are therefore invisible, does not mean they are not part of the price we are paying to keep the base open.

"Whatever economic benefit Hill employees and local businesses are enjoying, the net economic effect of Hill on the total economy is negative. We must, therefore, make sure the Base justifies the cost. I am not an expert on military activities. I do, however, suspect Hill is worth the cost. In today's world it is probably a good idea to have a major base away from our borders. The local availability of uninhabited ranges is also a good reason to keep Hill. My only point is that we must not weigh local economic benefits in our decision. Keeping Hill open, without military justification, is like asking a robber to take money from others to provide us with comfortable jobs. It is an insult to the ethics of Utah workers to tell them they have jobs because their politicians have lobbied for taxpayer money for a project that does not justify the net cost to our economy.

"Let's make sure Hill Air Force Base justifies the costs and keep it open for the right reasons.

"Thank you."

Ken Larsen