Defending Griffiss

Griffiss is no stranger to cuts, having already experienced three and now the department of defense is considering yet another round of belt-tightening. BRACthe base realignment and closures and it's just what four members of congress are trying to prevent at Rome lab. US Representatives Richard Hanna and Bill Owens along with senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, sent a letter to the secretary of defense. That letter stressing the importance of Rome, not only to Central New York, but the nation's defense as well. Now county officials are also lending their support. "The infrastructure that's been established and gets enhanced at Griffiss at the business park makes it for a great setting for that laboratory but it what's the work that's done there. it's the workforce that's in place." If the park does get funding cuts, officials say it could have a ripple effect. "You start peeling away the lab, it breaks apart some of the other businesses that are locally that work on the labs." Area officials are concerned and gearing up for a tough battle ahead. "It would be devastating, it's something we like to look ahead at and not backwards to say that something would happen so that's why we have to along with our federal delegation, our state delegation and locally just really dig in and make the case as we have in the past."