While Americans brace themselves for the impact of sequester budget cuts, the capital is seeing slight cuts of its own. The budget for White House tours has been slashed and the Blue Angels have been grounded for six to seven months. Although those pilots will lose hundreds of paid flight hours, these cuts come at an opportune time. And this is where the debate gets dicey.
These cuts — tours and jets — seem unnecessary and comparatively insignificant to the $633 million cut from the Department of Education’s Special Education programs, or the $125 million cut from Wildland Fire Management. But they may be more symbolic than practical. To begin counteracting major sequester cuts, the White House is creating a narrative that shows Americans that everyone will be affected when the sequester takes full effect.
Even U.S. President Barack Obama is showing solidarity with the possible upcoming financial turmoil, and has given back 5 percent of his salary, which amounts to about $20,000. That money starts to support the country. This move, which may be more about public relations than contributing to the economy, shows the American people that even those as powerful as the president are and will be affected.
But with a weak February jobs report and a lukewarm start to first quarter earnings reports, little sacrifices may not be the comfort Americans need. The U.S. market is still tepid, waiting for the other foot of this man-made crisis to drop. And while spending cuts are seemingly across the board, businesses are still relying on support from the Federal Reserve with stimulus programs.
A government cannot just stop spending money, even if it has already fallen off a fiscal cliff.
So yes, dispensable programs like White House tours and nationally sponsored air shows have been cut, and they may seem silly and minute, but maybe it will cause a few less dollars to be cut from research grants for universities, airport officials or defense. And if cutting the little things neither saves a dollar nor decreases the debt, it at least reminds America that everyone is feeling a little empty in the pockets
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Thank you.
…what ever happened to ‘spending wisely’? Do you really rank university research grants equally with personal safety and security?
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