Blue Angels, Thunderbirds Grounded

[G8trGr8t]

In another move to make the sequester hurt, the people in charge have once again attacked the most visible programs that people like the most. This time, the aerial performance teams of all 3 branches have been grounded. It really is disgusting to see how the powers choose to cut the most popular items first before doing anything to cut waste. I hope this comes back to bite 0 in the arse. He is doing everything in his power to try and make the pain get felt by the public instead of the gubmnt. Typical politician, cut granny's wheelchair repair before cutting the $1M study to determine the width of the snail trail left by a S. American bull snail.

http://money.msn.com/business-news/a...10&id=16216984

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Even a rural festival celebrating the harvest of Georgia's famous sweet onions isn't safe from the federal budget battle 600 miles away, as automatic cuts are threatening to take away the star attraction for the Vidalia Onion Festival's popular air show: the Navy's daredevil fighter pilots, the Blue Angels.

The $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that took effect March 1 have thrown planning for the festival's air show into a tailspin, just weeks before the April 20 event that officials agreed to hold a week earlier than usual so they could book the vaunted group. The Navy plans to cancel Blue Angels shows booked next month in Vidalia and three other cities. And there is a good chance dozens more air shows across the U.S. could get the ax as well, leaving host cities facing threats of lost tourism revenue and dwindling ticket sales.

"It's going to hurt us," said Marsha Temples, chief organizer of the Vidalia air show, who estimates past festival weekends have drawn 15,000 extra people when the Blue Angels were on the bill. "People like to see the Blues because they put on an absolutely phenomenal show. You have people who actually follow them and a lot of people come from out of town just to see them."

While the Blue Angels' spring schedule is in doubt, the Air Force's formation-flying Thunderbirds and the Army's Golden Knights skydivers have canceled their performances outright. Combined, the three teams had booked more than 190 performances between the spring and fall. That's left many air show organizers scrambling to find replacements, such as civilian pilots with loud, fast jets from the Vietnam era or vintage planes from World War II. The uncertainty has forced others to simply cancel altogether.

John Cudahy, president of the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, said at least 150 U.S. air shows each year count on military performers to draw big crowds. A group like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds can account for 10 to 30 percent of attendance — in some cases enough to determine if a show makes or loses money.

Canceled appearances don't just mean fewer dollars spent on tickets, souvenirs and concessions. They also mean fewer fans traveling to shows out of town and spending on hotels, restaurants and gas

[brainstorm]

A friend in the coast guard, who joined in large part to earn money for college, just posted a message on FB that the CG has cut off their tuition assistance due to the "budget cuts".

The Obama Admin is making some serious political hay out of this. They can pick and choose what to cut. Instead of making good decisions they seem bent to cut programs that make no sense and then act like they had no other choice. Bad, bad republicans.

I never liked Obama but like him even less now.

[MichiGator2002]

Next time you see the first family on vacay that they took two planes to go on, picture crying children with toy blue angel planes and frustrated parents who cleared vacation for cherry blossom season to do a white house tour along with the whole mall.

[fredsanford]

This thread is typical of what is wrong with America. "Please cut everything that I have no stake in, but don't touch what I do."

[gator996]

So where are all of the fiscal conservatives who are "serious" about cutting spending?

Now some of you are crying about not paying for airshows & DC area tours?


Here's a solution for the airshows...let someone else foot the bill.

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/lo...nge-this-year/

"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- There's change in the air at this year's Lauderdale Air Show. The headlining act canceled, now another team is ready to take their place.

The Lauderdale Air Show is scheduled to take off again this year on April 20, but the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds won't be showing off moves.

Instead of the Thunderbirds, the Spanish Air Force will be making it's way across the Atlantic. "The Lauderdale Air Show is ecstatic that we're having the Spanish Air Team," said Chuck Malkus, "Which is renowned, to participate in this year's show."

The Mayor of Fort Lauderdale said the timing couldn't have worked out better, since we're celebrating 500 years since the Spaniards came to America with Viva 500. "It's really kind of appropriate," said Mayor Jack Seiler, "That 500 years later, after they first came here by ship, now we have the Spanish Air Force and their demonstration team coming by air. It's going to be spectacular."

[gator7_5]

Originally Posted by fredsanford

This thread is typical of what is wrong with America. "Please cut everything that I have no stake in, but don't touch what I do."

It's a horrible decision any way you look at it. It's a huge economic boost to small cities like Pensacola who host 300,000 to Pensacola beach for the July airshow. And it's a fantastic recruiting tool for the Navy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...4e4_story.html

Pensacola is fund raising to make the show happen.

It's not that Republicans don't want cuts, they just want the right one. There's so much worthless fat that can take the place of this.

I rent a house to a Blue Angel pilot and talked to his wife Friday. They have no idea what's going to happen.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Originally Posted by fredsanford

This thread is typical of what is wrong with America. "Please cut everything that I have no stake in, but don't touch what I do."

This is true, but ...

Originally Posted by gator7_5

There's so much worhtless fat that can take the place of this.

So is this. I couldn't tell you what might be more "cutable," but I can't help but believe there's more than enough excess to trim. I wouldn't say that precludes people complaining about whatever cuts are made, but a lot of these absolutely look like they're for show.

[oragator1]

Yeah I don't know if they are trying to use this to make political hay, but shouldn't air show activities be one of the first things cut in any short term cutback scenario?

[gatorman_07732]

They wanted to give the WH even for flexibility and he turned it down.

[G8trGr8t]

996, they are choosing to cut the bone instead of the fat. they are doing this intentionally as if there is no fat to be trimmed so that if/when anybody else asks for cuts, the pain of the bone being cut will be fresh in everybody's mind instead of the amount of waste and fraud that could/should be cut. you cannot spin that away. hopefully enough people can see through it that it backfires on them.

[MichiGator2002]

The problem with America is much more that someone prefers lavish Presidential vacations and/or whale poop studies and/or throwing money away with both hands to Islamist dictators to the Blue Angels or White House tours.

[Dreamliner]

Driving to Charlotte, just last week, I had ample opportunity to listen to talk radio.

General impression: on a wide variety of topics, almost no one is willing to see anything cut. Vigorous and emotional arguments were marshalled to see everything left intact.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Originally Posted by oragator1

Yeah I don't know if they are trying to use this to make political hay, but shouldn't air show activities be one of the first things cut in any short term cutback scenario?

You might be right. It might be fat. I'd be curious to know how much money this saved.

[G8trGr8t]

Originally Posted by oragator1

Yeah I don't know if they are trying to use this to make political hay, but shouldn't air show activities be one of the first things cut in any short term cutback scenario?

how about closing some of the many overseas bases and bringing those people home or making those countries pay up for their defense. (S. Korea and Japan come to mind)

maybe cutting back on million dollar golf outings or military programs the military doesn't even want/need. There are tons of things that could/should be cut that would not impact the public but this administration is intent on making the cuts as painful as possible while eliminating as little real waste as possible. These are political decisions and he wants the sequester to hurt as many as possible so he can try and blame it on the pubs. Like a spoiled child that did not get his lollipop he is now pitching his fit. His mommy probably never told him no and he is too old to learn how to deal with it now.

[Dreamliner]

The American people are ANGRY with Congress for allowing anything to be cut. Americans don't want anything cut except maybe Congress' pay.

Like that's going to go a long way.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by fredsanford

This thread is typical of what is wrong with America. "Please cut everything that I have no stake in, but don't touch what I do."

cutting tuition for those who fought and server is a lot worse than the president not being able to go on his 20 vacations a year

[oragator1]

Originally Posted by G8trGr8t

how about closing some of the many overseas bases and bringing those people home or making those countries pay up for their defense. (S. Korea and Japan come to mind)

maybe cutting back on million dollar golf outings or military programs the military doesn't even want/need. There are tons of things that could/should be cut that would not impact the public but this administration is intent on making the cuts as painful as possible while eliminating as little real waste as possible. These are political decisions and he wants the sequester to hurt as many as possible so he can try and blame it on the pubs. Like a spoiled child that did not get his lollipop he is now pitching his fit. His mommy probably never told him no and he is too old to learn how to deal with it now.

Cutting a base would take years, they need to do short term things to match immediate budget cuts. The boondoggles that congress throws at them as pork they have no say over either, that's a whole separate issue on which I am sure most all of us agree. Golf outings yes, unnecessary travel, yes, and for all we know those have been curtailed.
But my point was that when you have to make cuts that will immediately have to have an impact and you are fighting a war and a half, your options are pretty limited at the pentagon. An air show makes sense. Now did some in the administration not exactly shed a tear over it? Probably, but that doesn't mean it didn't still make sense given what they had to do.

[gator7_5]

17 views, 16 posts. Who's the lurker?

[gator996]

Originally Posted by G8trGr8t

how about closing some of the many overseas bases and bringing those people home or making those countries pay up for their defense. (S. Korea and Japan come to mind)

maybe cutting back on million dollar golf outings or military programs the military doesn't even want/need. There are tons of things that could/should be cut that would not impact the public but this administration is intent on making the cuts as painful as possible while eliminating as little real waste as possible. These are political decisions and he wants the sequester to hurt as many as possible so he can try and blame it on the pubs. Like a spoiled child that did not get his lollipop he is now pitching his fit. His mommy probably never told him no and he is too old to learn how to deal with it now.

What exactly is painful about cutting airshow apperances?


Ft Lauderdale got another aircraft group to do their show...Ta Da!!!
Problem solved...


This sounds more like people intent on turning any publicized cut into a Obama bitch fest....


You wanted cuts, you're getting cuts...you could have had serious cuts to entitlements in the summer of 2011 and the GOP rejected them.

Then you pass the sequester bill and complain that they aren't meaningful?

And how about 75% of the teaparty who believes that the sequester won't really effect anything....


And now you're crying about cutting airshow & tours?



The babysitting of conservatives who want to whine about everything...

...even things they want and enact is the problem with this country.



For once, Dreamliner is correct... (Yikes, I don't believe I just said that!!)

[brainstorm]

Again, we're talking about a slight decrease in the increase in spending...playing politics...