0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 44
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          M. MICHAEL OLGUIN
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     PROTESTING THE TRANSFER OF THE OPTICS SUPPORT FUNCTION OF THE
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0012|     NORTH RANGE OF THE STALLION RANGE CENTER TO HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE
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0013|     BASE, THUS TRANSFERRING TWENTY JOBS FROM THE COMMUNITY OF
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0014|     SOCORRO.
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0015|     
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0016|          WHEREAS, in early January 1997, the optics support
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0017|     function of the north range of the Stallion range center of
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0018|     White Sands missile range was transferred to Holloman air
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0019|     force base; and
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0020|          WHEREAS, this transfer resulted in the loss of twenty
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0021|     jobs from the Socorro area; and
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0022|          WHEREAS, these employees were offered only the options of
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0023|     showing up for work at the new location three hours away,
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0024|     taking early retirement or losing their jobs; and
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0025|          WHEREAS, it is believed, but as yet is unconfirmed by the
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<center>- 1 -</center>

0001|     employer, that moving this optics support function was not to
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0002|     comply with a scientific need related to performing the work
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0003|     but rather to possibly save money by reducing salary costs of
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0004|     senior and experienced employees, most of whom have between
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0005|     twenty and twenty-five years of experience; and
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0006|          WHEREAS, knowledgeable financial computations on the
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0007|     matter give no hint of savings simply by moving the unit from
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0008|     the Stallion range center to the Holloman air force base; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, in a community of approximately eight thousand
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0010|     persons, the loss of income from twenty jobs means a very
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0011|     noticeable impact on local revenue, including gross receipts
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0012|     revenue; and
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0013|          WHEREAS, unemployment in the Socorro area averaged over
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0014|     nine percent for calendar year 1996; and
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0015|          WHEREAS, the international association of machinists and
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0016|     aerospace workers, the Socorro city council, the Socorro
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0017|     county commission, the greater Socorro area chamber of
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0018|     commerce and the Socorro public school district administration
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0019|     have all strongly protested the transfer of these jobs from
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0020|     the Stallion range center; 
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0021|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0022|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico congressional
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0023|     delegation and the governor of New Mexico be requested to use
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0024|     every available means to return these optics support function
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0025|     jobs to the north range of the Stallion range center on a
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<center>- 2 -</center>

0001|     permanent basis; and
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0002|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the optics support unit is
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0003|     returned to the north range of the Stallion range center, the
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0004|     contractor administrating the work be requested to offer to
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0005|     rehire all employees who separated due to the location shift;
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0006|     and
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0007|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the administration of the
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0008|     White Sands missile range and its various contractors be
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0009|     requested to take into serious consideration the financial
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0010|     impact on local communities as they rearrange their corporate
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0011|     economies; and
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0012|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0013|     sent to the international associations of machinists and
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0014|     aerospace workers, the Socorro city council, the Socorro
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0015|     county commission, the greater Socorro area chamber of
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0016|     commerce, the Socorro public school district administration,
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0017|     the commander of the White Sands missile range, the commander
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0018|     of Holloman air force base, each member of New Mexico's
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0019|     congressional delegation and the governor.
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0020|                            - 3 -
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