Last week we had a F/A-18D Hornet crash into a neighborhood in San Diego, just outside of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. A man who lost his family in the crash, an immigrant from Korea, said that he didn't blame the pilot for the accident. Now there is an admirable man.

But the rest of his neighbors aren't being as forgiving. For years, there has been a battle between the Miramar Air Station and the residents of its surrounding neighborhoods. These people are what you would call NIMBYs - Not In My BackYard. And this crash last week has really re-ignited the NIMBYs of San Diego to get rid of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

The residents are saying that this crash is the latest reminder of the "longtime noise and safety concerns arising from operations at Miramar." They have also complained about the traffic congestion. Environmental groups are upset with the bases' "history of industrial pollution." Sally Marks, a San Diego resident since 1978, says, "The Marines are decent people, and it seems un-American to gripe about them during wartime. But having hundreds of helicopters and jets in the middle of an urban area is a recipe for discord and disaster." And then there is resident Gayle Aruta (another woman) who says, "These types of jets have to be moved. It's not safe, these things flying over schools and children ... How many people have to die?" That, my friends, is the profile of a NIMBY.

A few things for Gayle and her NIMBY crowd should remember .. Miramar has been around since before you were born. Its origins date back to 1917. Not to mention that when moving into the area, there is no secret that you are moving near a military base .. you have to sign a contract that disclosed those inconvenient facts..

Oh and then there is that little thing the NIMBYs forget - the economic impact of the base. Did you know that the Pentagon spends $15.5 billion in the San Diego area for things like salaries, equipment repairs and construction? That's a lot of capital being pumped into the area. This means that San Diego is the top recipient of military funding compared to any other county in the nation.

The slumping economy has taken its toll on troop support and donation programs. According to MOM 4R MARINES founder Patty Lewis, the number of  donations  and packages being sent to the troops has fallen to an all-time low, while the number of homesick Marines and sailors  hoping to receive a package is at an all-time high, especially while deployed in the cold mountains of Afghanistan over the holidays. We must send them our support! Please help make this happen for a group of 1500 wonderful, fearless warriors living without any normal amenities. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN! NOW! THE TIME IS NOW! While they can use your donations year round, donate before December 7th to make your funds available for this year's holiday shipment. How to donate.

Perhaps you haven't heard about this one. It's an older story ...but I would like an update, especially since our U.S. Marines are still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After the 2004 election the United Auto Workers were a bit upset about Bush's reelection. They took their angst out on our Marines. It seems that some Marine Corps reservists working at a base in Detroit were parking in the lot at the UAW Solidarity House. After the Bush reelection the UAW went into the parking lot looking for Marines driving foreign cars or cars with Bush bumper stickers. These Marines were told they were no longer welcome to park their cars on UAW property.

Now the UAW is pushing for a taxpayer-funded bailout of their employers. Marines, even Marines who drive foreign cars, are taxpayers. Has the UAW changed their tactics at Solidarity House?