I served on JFK, 86 - 90, when she was still a good ship in Norfolk, before Philadelphia Naval Shipyard screwed her up and then the Navy sent her to Mayport and cut all funding for upkeep.
I saw her after decommissioning. She was towed up to Norfolk and sat at a pier at the Naval Station for about 6 months until her space was ready in Philly. It was depressing to see her daily at the pier with all the rust and her mast cut down and welded to the flight deck.
BTW, I also served on Nimitz (80 - 84) and Ike (93 - 96).
Post Gulf War One was not kind to any of the conventionals. Yea they did cut funding too all of them actually and it bit them on the sitter right after 9/11. Two carriers unable to get away was not a fault of command. You can't fix what you don't have to fix with.
Something interesting about the Mayport order. In mid 1980 we were officially given the order that upon our return from the 1981 MED Cruise which turned out to be I.O. also AMERICA was to homeport in Mayport. I got out in October 80 long before that was too happen. We were just completing overhaul then. But reading ships history after that I suspect Reagan's SECNAV or higher obviously rescinded that order.
JFK after the Philly overhaul and botched S.L.E.P. was made a reserve carrier unofficially. Toward the last she also got cannibalized even while astill in commission so the rumors go. The politics toward the Navy especially the conventional carriers from 1990-last one out was horrible. They were very lucky some major causalities didn't happen and cost a lot of lives.
One last note. In fall of 79 when the Iranian Hostage Crisis happened JFK drew short straw. I remember that day real well. We went to Closed Ship for several hours and at first not told of WTH was happening. Then the old man told us and said we are on standby to possibly get underway. It was a fast decision evidently as by that evening we were told JFK was going and we were headed to dry-dock on schedule.