Air Force Academy Cancels July 4th Celebration

Fox News Radio ^ | 3/20/2013 | Todd Starnes

[markomalley]

The U.S. Air Force Academy has cancelled its annual July 4th celebration and military officials are blaming it on the sequestration.

“Faced with so many uncertainties about the future budget, we have to look at ways to save money,” said Lt. Col. John Bryan, Director of Public Affairs at the Academy. ”But for now, we’ve had to cut back on many things we normally would support.”

[CitizenUSA]

If you know the particulars, then you’ll understand why $85 billion out of $3.5 trillion is significant. First off, the government didn’t reduce spending in anticipation, so the cuts are effectively twice as large as they would have been otherwise. We’re halfway through the government’s fiscal year. Secondly, a lot of spending was isolated from sequestration. In the DoD, for example, active duty pay was off limits. That significantly increased the impact of the cuts (again) on those areas that were cut. Finally, the DoD took 1/2 the cuts even though it’s far less than 50% of the budget.

For these reasons, the DoD will be far more seriously impacted by sequestration. Yes. Even the cost of a holiday celebration is a significant expense when there’s so little discretionary money left in the DoD’s budget.

I know some FReepers think all government employees are scum. There are even some FReepers who think the military needs to be decimated. However, the military is one of the few constitutionally enumerated jobs of the federal government, and the active duty force does not work alone (without their civilian counterparts). That’s why these cuts are militarily significant even if active duty pay is untouched. It’s like making your car payment while not having enough money for gas and oil.

[DoctorBulldog]

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/3/12/129129091068448137.jpg

[G Larry]

It’s not like this country has any liberty or freedom to celebrate anymore, anyway.

[CitizenUSA]

I agree cuts need to be made, but isn't it also important where they're made? I'm not arguing this is an important expenditure, but I am claiming the cuts are especially directed toward the military. Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and a whole lot more? No cuts. Food stamps? That's going strong and growing.

As a nation, we're choosing butter (actually free government cheese) over guns. That might be fine if we had a nation like us to protect us (much like Europe has done for the last 50 years).

Again, I'm not saying the military should be as big as it is or spread all over like the world's police force. I'm saying our leaders are cutting the military largely at the expense of everything else. What good does it do to cut the money for a 4th of July celebration when entitlement spending is off limits and growing like cancer?

[SkyDancer]

But the thing is, I read where every section, office, department, whatever will still get what they did last year. They just won’t get an increase. I get Rush down here and I heard the way he explained it. It’s all nonsense the way these different gov’t departments say they can’t do their job because of the sequester. They and the MSM are flat out lying to the public.

[CitizenUSA]

If you read my other post in this thread, you'll understand why these cuts are so much more significant for the DoD. It also makes clear why having even more money this year doesn't mean the cuts won't be significant. To add to that, the price of everything is going up. That affects government operating expenses, too. Fuel, for example, costs more than last year. So does a lot of other things thanks to the lack of leaders in BOTH parties.

In fact, I'd say the impact of sequestration proves inflation is much worse than the government claims, because they themselves have to ramp up spending each year just to stay even. In other words, spending 10% more doesn't mean they're getting 10% more. I suspect inflation hits the military far more than other government agencies, because the military probably uses far, far more rapidly inflating things like food, ammo, and fuel (not counting the billion rounds of hollow point ammo purchased by DHS).

[FlingWingFlyer]

Maybe they could fly all of the cadets to the District of Corruption and they can attend the 4th celebrations being held by the EPA and DHS. Sequestration means nothing to them.

[SkyDancer]

It is interesting to read how money is spent on stupid research. Millions. But yet they can’t open the WH which costs like 18,000 per week to run????

[CitizenUSA]

The White House might be targeting some of the cuts for maximum political effect, but many programs were insulated from the sequestration. I can’t say what’s going on with the White House’s budget cuts, but I do think it looks like a political ploy. The same thing typically happens when a state doesn’t get more money it wants. It starts cutting the most visible and painful things, like police and the fire department.

However, the DoD really is the exception. It’s getting hit way out of proportion to amount of money cut. It’s like I told you to save $100 out of a $5000 budget, but I didn’t tell you until you were halfway through the year’s spending and refused to let you change spending on $4500 worth of items.

[SkyDancer]

Well to me the whole thing is political aimed at Republicans. Obamalamadingdong lied both ways. The man is a menace to the US.

[stylin19a]

The community-wide celebration is traditionally held at Falcon Stadium – with barbecues, patriotic music and a fireworks display.
lose the fireworks...now what ?

[Antoninus II]

I’m a USAF vet (1970-1974).

Same here!

But this smacks of the utter politicization of our armed forces.

I knew as soon as the carrier deployment was cancelled. Inexcusable...

[Mich Patriot]

I TOTALLY agree that indeed most of the cuts are in the wrong place. Some of the stupid projects like money spent so humans can relate to elephants better are a farce to line pockets, and don’t get me started on Solyndra and all the other failed greeny weeny projects. Those industries will explode on their own when the technology is right. There are probably thousands of cuts that should have preceded ANY military cuts.

[capt B]

UN Fn believable. Another slap at America