'Chump Change': Spokesman for Group Opposing F-35 Jets in Madison Reacts to Baldwin Press Release

Monday, March 6th, 2023 -- 1:01 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) A group opposing F-35 fighters jets at Madison’s Truax Field is dismissive of funding secured by US Senator Tammy Baldwin.

In a press release, Baldwin says she’s committed to continuing to listen to and work with the community. “I don’t know what she’s talking about, about increasing community engagement. She’s had no engagement with our community up ‘til now.”

Tom Boswell with Safe Skies Clean Water also doesn’t think much, of a $798,000 grant from the Department of Defense. “That's just chicken feed, it's chump change, it's not going to do anything for the noise problem that we have let alone the water pollution is caused by the Air National Guard.”

A spokesman for a  group opposing the jets is underwhelmed. “So I think it's just incredible hypocrisy the whole thing particularly this idea that she's going to give us a grant to do community outreach and noise mitigation we've been trying to talk to her for four years now and she has been totally unreceptive.”

Boswell said, “I don't know if the public is aware that each one of those jets cost $110 million. That's the real price of them. And so that means 20 times 110 million comes out to something like $200 million. That's just the price to bring jets here. That's what the taxpayers are paying.”

Baldwin’s office did not respond to a request for comment. 

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