Save Crane group hosts Daniels

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels appeared in Bloomington Friday with a committee attempting to save Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center from closing. \nDaniels said he could not be specific about what effect he had in Washington during a recent visit to the capital, though he suggested he used his influence in Washington as former financial adviser for President George W. Bush to help secure his case for Crane. \nLocal business owner Lee Merchant said Daniels' mission compared to winning the Super Bowl. \nDaniels also said he was optimistic about Crane.\n"(I) made the case, organized, documented and I simply attempted to be messenger, that our voice was made audible," Daniels said about his efforts with Washington officials. "The case we've made continues to be made."\nCrane, Indiana's last active military base and the third largest Navy instillation in the world, is currently slated to lose a reported 683 of its 4,000 jobs in Bloomfield, Ind., about 30 miles southwest of Bloomington. But Indiana is expected to gain 3,500 finance and accounting government jobs in the Indianapolis area, which should be jobs of comparable salary, Daniels said.\nDaniels met with members of the Southern Indiana Business Alliance and the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation that make up the committee.\n"I am optimistic," Daniels said about Crane. "Frankly, I'm not comfortable playing defense (economically). I want to be playing offense only."\nCutting jobs now at Crane could pave the way for business deals with private companies and more research by IU and Purdue, who signed a partnership with Crane in January.\nDaniels said Crane has shifted its mission from one of economic defense to one of offense, and he attributed this success to the members of the committee. \n"This was citizenship at its best," Daniels said, "in particular the private citizens who found time to make this incredible contribution to the state."\nHeron Project Manager Hilary Heffernan agreed the public had responded positively to the mission of saving Crane.\n"I was in awe of how much people adopted it and took it on as their own mission," she said.\nMarchant said losing Crane would have a harmful affect on the local economy.\n"In our lifetime, there cannot be anything that can have (a similar) devastating affect (of) Crane closing, other than the Great Depression," he said.\nDaniels said the battle is not yet over. The process has currently spanned a year and a half, and will continue until the pentagon makes its decision concerning the base this fall.\n-- Contact Senior Writer Joelle \nPetrus at jpetrus@indiana.edu.