Sequestration? What are YOU doing to prepare for it?

[Gadgetmonster]

The sequester situation has just caused the cancellation of the Capitol City Air Show.

Indianapolis Air Show


The 2013 Indianapolis Air Show, scheduled for June 15-16 at Indianapolis Regional Airport near Mt. Comfort, has been cancelled due to the wide-ranging impact of sequestration.

The decision to cancel was made by the show’s executive committee this week following thorough deliberation of numerous factors affected by sequestration.

The US Navy Blue Angels had been scheduled to appear as the show’s jet team headliner. Under budget cuts, US military jet teams may be grounded after April 1.

 

[pinshooter45]

Much ado about nothing.

What he said! The GOV will still spend more than they did last year!

 

[ryan3030]

You are one ignorant individual. You obviously never served and have no one in your family that serves. Let me clue you in. ALL pay increases - even for those like my nephew that nearly got his head blown off - are frozen. With no money for training and deployment prep, those deployed now are on indefinite deployment. Meal rationing in Afghanistan. No carrier group for the gulf, therefore no fast relief for anyone in serious trouble...on and on and on. If you think this doesn't hit the military straight in the mouth you need to open your eyes, shut your computer off, get out in the real world and talk to some soldiers and sailors.

Every point you've made, and continue to make, is attempting to demonstrate the impact of budget cuts while assuming that we change nothing in the military.

The point is to change military involvement. We don't need a force this large, out in so many places. Meal rationing? How about bring some troops home? All this will do is force us to bring people home.

I like how you harp on the "you must not know anyone in the military", because judging people you've never met works out so well. I lost a friend in Afghan land to an IED and my best friend is still in the Navy.

If your nephew doesn't like how the armed forces work, he shouldn't have signed up for public service. Given that my wife is a social worker I'm all too familiar with getting the short end of the stick in terms of compensation.

 

[philo]

Does that mean you are willing to take a 20% cut in pay with us?

If you're expecting a 20% cut that means you already have a target on your back and the sequester is being used as cover to divert the blame. A 2.4% cut in the budget shouldn't equate to 20% cuts in the field unless you or your group are being targeted specifically.

The .gov could probably absorb this by cutting the purchase of staples, paperclips, and tape across the board - but that wouldn't demonize the Repub's.

Maybe they could cut some fluff like the free postage to congress members, or travel money like the $32,000 per week that Panetta spent traveling home on weekends. I don't recall if he was there the whole 4 years of the first term, but that would total something like 6.5 mil if he was.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Every point you've made, and continue to make, is attempting to demonstrate the impact of budget cuts while assuming that we change nothing in the military.

The point is to change military involvement. We don't need a force this large, out in so many places. Meal rationing? How about bring some troops home? All this will do is force us to bring people home.

I like how you harp on the "you must not know anyone in the military", because judging people you've never met works out so well. I lost a friend in Afghan land to an IED and my best friend is still in the Navy.

If your nephew doesn't like how the armed forces work, he shouldn't have signed up for public service. Given that my wife is a social worker I'm all too familiar with getting the short end of the stick in terms of compensation.

Soldiers don't make policy. If you're in, you're in until you're not. When you're in you don't get to decide to go home because you shouldn't be there. You serve. It's your job. Your point is well taken - I get it - I agree with it - but the soldier and the sailor that's there to serve should not receive the brunt of the punishment. When the pentagon and the whitehouse and the congress decide to go to war, THEY make the decision, therefore THEY need to do something about budget cuts and withdrawl. The soldier has no choice. The sailor has no choice - they do not dictate policy. The very least "we" can do for them is to support them, fund their needs, give them everything they need to be as safe as possible and eventually get them home. If you care about your friend that gave his life serving, if you care about your friend in the Navy, then talk to your representative about withdrawing from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria. In the meantime don't burry your head in the sand and expect the soldier in the field to give up his pittence of pay or assume MORE risk to his life simply because your congressmen can't play nice. That's Flat Wrong.

Now, I'm done arguing with you.

 

[Scarecrow]

If you're expecting a 20% cut that means you already have a target on your back and the sequester is being used as cover to divert the blame. A 2.4% cut in the budget shouldn't equate to 20% cuts in the field unless you or your group are being targeted specifically.

The .gov could probably absorb this by cutting the purchase of staples, paperclips, and tape across the board - but that wouldn't demonize the Repub's.

Maybe they could cut some fluff like the free postage to congress members, or travel money like the $32,000 per week that Panetta spent traveling home on weekends. I don't recall if he was there the whole 4 years of the first term, but that would total something like 6.5 mil if he was.

I say 20% because we lose 2 days per paycheck.

In all honesty I hope our GOV learns something from all this. I know that's a thin ray of hope, but still. If me taking a pay cut for the rest of the year somehow helps, then so be it.

I say lets not let Mr Kerry send BILLIONS of dollars to rebels who could give a rats a** about us.

 

[jcwit]

Soldiers don't make policy. If you're in, you're in until you're not. When you're in you don't get to decide to go home because you shouldn't be there. You serve. It's your job. Your point is well taken - I get it - I agree with it - but the soldier and the sailor that's there to serve should not receive the brunt of the punishment. When the pentagon and the whitehouse and the congress decide to go to war, THEY make the decision, therefore THEY need to do something about budget cuts and withdrawl. The soldier has no choice. The sailor has no choice - they do not dictate policy. The very least "we" can do for them is to support them, fund their needs, give them everything they need to be as safe as possible and eventually get them home. If you care about your friend that gave his life serving, if you care about your friend in the Navy, then talk to your representative about withdrawing from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria. In the meantime don't burry your head in the sand and expect the soldier in the field to give up his pittence of pay or assume MORE risk to his life simply because your congressmen can't play nice. That's Flat Wrong.

Now, I'm done arguing with you.

Just now on the news, the DOD spent $89 million on just conferences alone last year, now tell me there can't be cuts made.

And Yes I'm a U.S. Army vet. 1965-1973

 

[cbseniour]

Sequestration is a fraud they are talking about 45B against a 3Trillion Budget, no effect whatsoever except twhat Obama does intentionally

 

[Grizhicks]

Find another job if you don't like it.

That's what I'd have to do if I couldn't stomach a 20% pay cut (which, thanks to trying to live modestly, I could probably do, but with great inconvenience).

Lots of folks lost jobs already. They also have to find other jobs-- get new or better skills, move, sell stuff whatever it takes.

Not sure what makes anyone else so special that economics shouldn't apply to them.

I don't know where you are in your status of life; but that is easier said than done. As a federal employee with 30 years and 2 until retirement, that is not a option. If you really think that someone with my skills and experience, can just be replaced with "someone off the street", then you have no idea what some of us do. As a contracting officer, I have the ability to spend millions (& have), but do my best to spend it wisely.

Like 'scarecrow' said at one point, I'm prepared to weather this, but not happy about it.

 

[roisigns]

If you're expecting a 20% cut....

25% reduction in take home pay. Medical, Dental, and Life insurance premiums remain the same during sequester.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Just now on the news, the DOD spent $89 million on just conferences alone last year, now tell me there can't be cuts made.

And Yes I'm a U.S. Army vet. 1965-1973

Never said there aren't cuts to be made - legitimate ones. I'm saying the soldiers and sailors shouldn't suffer. Period. An Army Vet can certainly see that.

 

[cook4army]

Maybe I should have put the post topic in purple......my original idea behind this post was an attempt at humor under political terms, I didnt mean it to be this huge arguments of sorts.

Regardless.......the sequestration is something that was created in attempt to force congress (read republicans only because everyone knows that the democratic party ALAWYS does what's best for the country) to the bargaining table in an attempt to get some sort of budget drawn up and passed. Problem is, that the current administration wants the general populous to believe that not only did this idea NOT come out of the White House, but will be the end of America as it stands. The cuts proposed were done so on purpose, to illicit a reaction, just like the threat of your opponent cutting Medicare, medicaide, social security and such. No one wants to cut those programs. The dems need those programs to keep them in office and the repubs don't want to take away something tha helps millions of people, but that doesnt stop them from making outlandish claims.

Defense spending is a double edge sword...without the latest tools to help our men and women in uniform, we put them into unnecessary harm, limit their ability to survive and react to a threat. But we all know that there are programs, weapon systems, support elements and contracting problems that need to be addressed and dealt with accordingly. Military pay is set forth at the beginning of the fiscal year, and if I remember from my almost 21 years in the US Army, can't be reduced. They may put a freeze or reenlistments, bonuses, specialty training and competition events, and place a hold on unit purchasing budgets, but things like food, deployment rotations, and deployment trail ups, will still occur. There just may not be as many training excercises prior to deployments.

I find it interesting that the entity that created the sequestration has refused to cut the areas of government that are doing the most damage, and are trying to cut areas that we need the most. The thing the white house is trying to give the American people the false impression of, is that the DoD, air traffic controllers, FDA inspectors, are the cause for this spending problem....and yes it is exactly that, a spending problem, and it's not the hand outs that this administration sold for votes and political clout.

 

[SERparacord]

The fear mongering didn't work. Now why did they turn loose all the illegal aliens?

 

[dbrier]

So post the link!

I can't find it online anywhere. I currently have it in my work email from the Gov's office.

 

[in625shooter]

The fear mongering didn't work. Now why did they turn loose all the illegal aliens?

Can't speak for the Imigration detention facilities but the Federal Bureau of Prisons has approx 26% of their population listed as either undocumented (illegal) or non US citizenship. 26% adds up to just over 50,000 inmates. I say if they are non violent (or didn't commit a crime aganist a US Citizen) they be deported immediatly. There is a ton of money saved just in BOP alone!

 

[Sublime49er247]

Trying my best to help get those who are affected, employed again.

 

[Small's]

He's saying the republicrats dont want to work with him. I found this kind of odd and they arent event calling him out on it. Obama: I Will Veto Attempts To Get Rid Of Automatic Spending Cuts - Forbes

 

[rhino]

The fraud here isn't in the magnitude of the cuts relative to the budget, but that the cuts somehow affect how much the agencies and administrations have in their budgets at this time. The cuts apply to future increases, not to current amounts, nor would they reduce the budget for next year. They would reduce the amount of increase next year over what they have this year.

The real fraud is the scare tactic of threatening these furloughs and cessation of services. They already have the money (borrowed, of course) to pay for each and every thing that happens this year and each and every hour worked by each and every employee and contractor this year. That money was stolen and borrowed a long time ago and they already have it.

 

[SERparacord]

Can't speak for the Imigration detention facilities but the Federal Bureau of Prisons has approx 26% of their population listed as either undocumented (illegal) or non US citizenship. 26% adds up to just over 50,000 inmates. I say if they are non violent (or didn't commit a crime aganist a US Citizen) they be deported immediatly. There is a ton of money saved just in BOP alone!

Send them all back home, if they show up here again they get a free bullet.

 

[BogWalker]

Never said there aren't cuts to be made - legitimate ones. I'm saying the soldiers and sailors shouldn't suffer. Period. An Army Vet can certainly see that.

The government is making the soldiers suffer to try and push their budget plans. We could just downsize parts of the military without harming combat troops at all. I mean, we have bases in dozens of countries around the world. Countries that have militaries of their own and don't have any combat going on. I mean, why do we still need troops in Germany again? Afraid they'll decide third times the charm or what? We have troops in dozens of peaceful and friendly nations. Enough of that, and enough of sending foreign aid to third world crap holes who don't have anything to offer us.