Gates: $33B Needed ASAP to Keep Military Afloat

[madmom]

(July 14) -- Warning that the military could run out of money as early as next month, the Pentagon is putting pressure on Congress to pass the wartime budget before lawmakers leave for the August break.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates was "disappointed that the Congress did not pass the defense supplemental before the July Fourth break," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said at a press briefing today...

..Without that additional money, the various branches of the military will have to use funds from the regular budget to fund critical ongoing military operations. Siphoning money from the regular budget is only a stopgap, however...

..."Needless to say, all of this is extraordinarily disruptive to the department," he added.


http://www.aolnews.com/article/crunch-time-for-war-budget/19554804


:nopity:

[Skink]

1. Sounds like they want us to extend the military budget.

[FSogol]

2. Dear Military, Maybe you should get a second job or hold a car wash.

Other ideas:

bake sale
garage sale
mow some lawns around the neighborhood

hope that helps.

Love,
FSogol

[WinkyDink]

11. "Live within their means." "Buy in bulk at a co-op." "Re-cycle."

[Kalyke]

33. Maybe they could selll something on eBay.

That's what Cheney wanted the unemployed to do!

[JoeyT]

39. See if you can work out a deal with a drone manufacturer.

We'll give you 260,000 chickens in exchange for a new drone and targeting system.

[bif]

3. How about we bring all the troops home?

That would save at least that much. Why does the military get as much money as they want? Yet we can't fund programs here at home that actually help people?

[City Lights]

4. I suggest they hold a bake sale.

Or maybe sell candy and wrapping paper.

[Bragi]

5. Wouldn't want any "extraordinary disruption" of the war machine

If that happened, peace could break out all over the planet.

[bear425]

22. +1 n/t

[WinkyDink]

6. Does anyone find this credible?! Maybe Gates should ask CHENEY to return some of that H-Burton graft

[Hubert Flottz]

15. Or find the missing billions in Iraq...

Or stop funding spying on Americans.

[WinkyDink]

31. Exactly.

[Angry Dragon]

7. Wartime??

I have never seen any legal papers stating that we declared war on any country at this time

Then use the regular budget .....have to watch the deficit

[Octafish]

8. Have a bake sale.

Works for my PTO, although the school hasn't had a field trip in years.

[niceypoo]

9. Start closing bases

Get rid of weapons systems that will never be used. Stop starting wars.

[zipplewrath]

12. They've been closing them for years

Truth be known, if the DoD had their way, they'd close ALOT of bases. But that's politically difficult. So they have a "base realignment and closing commission". They've had several rounds, the last in '05. I can't find any evidence they have started a new one.

The biggest thing they could do is to create the weapons for the wars they actually fight, instead of the ones we never choose to fight.

[bif]

13. Except they've been opening new ones overseas

How many countries do e=we have bases in? Well over a hundred is my guess.

[zipplewrath]

26. yup

Congress, over the years, has done a lousy job of "policing" base construction around the world. Any sane organization would have some sort of "open one close one" policy at this point.

[KansDem]

23. What about overseas bases?

Why do we have a base in Japan, for example.

Overseas

Afghanistan--
Bagram Air Base
Shindand Airbase
Kandahar International Airport

Bulgaria--
Main article: Bulgarian-American Joint Military Facilities
Bezmer Air Base
Graf Ignatievo Air Base

Germany--
Ansbach
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Geilenkirchen, Germany
Ramstein Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base

Greenland--
Thule AB

Guam--
Andersen Air Force Base

Italy--
Aviano Air Base
San Vito dei Normanni Air Station

Japan--
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Prefecture
Misawa Air Base, Misawa, Aomori
Yokota Air Base, Tokyo

Saudi Arabia--
Source: Globemaster US Military Aviation Database
Eskan Village Air Base
King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Dhahran
King Fahd Air Base, Taif
King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushayt
Riyadh Air Base, Riyadh

South Korea--
Kunsan Air Base
Osan Air Base
Kyrgyzstan
Transit Center at Manas, Bishkek

The Netherlands--
Joint Force Command Brunssum

Portugal--
Lajes Field, Azores

Spain--
Morón Air Base, Andalusia
Morón de la Frontera, Andalusia

Turkey--
Incirlik Air Base

United Kingdom--
RAF Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk
RAF Menwith Hill, Yorkshire Dales
RAF Mildenhall, Mildenhall
RAF Croughton, Upper Heyford
RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases

[zipplewrath]

25. Well, actually

They've been closing many of those too. Yes, we still have many left.

We're in Japan because they pay us to help defend them.

We're in Korea because we are still at war with N. Korea.

We are in Europe because of NATO.

We also have SEATO, which obligates us to be there as well.

One should also know that there are foreign military "bases" here as well. (Mostly buildings on our bases).

Like I say, the DoD has a long list of bases they'd like to see closed. Any many bases are shells of what they once were.

[joe black]

10. Watch all the DC dicks.

They'll be breaking their necks and shoving each other to vote for the damn thing, unemployment not so much.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. The pantygone needs to pull itself up by it's jock straps.

And think about bake sales and such.

[Vinca]

16. No problem. Grandma sez she'll give up food this month to buy bombs.

[eShirl]

17. so THAT'S why they didn't extend unemployment

[hayu_lol]

18. Sell off the Taj Mahal Embassy in Iraq...

and maybe that fantastic new prison in Afghanistan as well.

OK Congress, time to pass a war resolution if you want 'war' funding. We don't got no stupid war up to this point.

[Bragi]

36. And who would buy it? /nt

[girl gone mad]

19. Go get a real job..

and stop picking fights with third world goat herders.

[Winterblues]

20. Will have to use funds from the regular budget

But Obama promised he would never ask for funds (War supplemental funds) that were not a part of the regular budget. Is Gates suggesting Obama may have lied to us?

[malaise]

21. Fuck Gates

and fuck the useless wars

[Blackhatjack]

24. Did I hear a Repub say "The War Costs Must Be Offset Elsewhere in the Pentagon Budget?"

...before they will vote for it because they are not going to add to the national debt?

Hmmmm.... I guess that was everything else they oppose that must meet this standard.... like UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR MILLIONS IN NEED.

[niyad]

27. how many billions in the annual defense budget? what the HELL are they doing with all that money?

I used to have a wonderful t-shirt (think northern sun still has them) that read "it will be a great day when our schools have all the money they need, and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber"

I made sure I wore it whenever I knew the recruiters were around. a couple of them actually tried to get into it with me.

[niceypoo]

38. Military industrial welfare complex

[L0oniX]

28. How about we out source your fucking job ...Gates!

[Catherina]

29. Hold a bake sale

[walldude]

30. Someone call Wolfowitcz...

He apparently had some plan for the war to pay for itself. When people were screaming about not being able to afford an illegal pointless war we were told not to worry "it'll pay for itself" :mad:

[lib2DaBone]

32. Nope..No...No Way..Sorry..it has to be paid for..Deficit Reduction....

[Contrary1]

34. Gee, just think how much more money would be needed...

if the returning veterans were actually provided with adequate medical care.

[Stinky The Clown]

35. And needless to say, the DC crowd will fall all over themselves to meet his needs

How easy it is for the military to say "hey, gimme anudder thoity tree billion."

And it always sails thru Congress.

Meanwhile, where's that unemployment bill stand?

Why can't we have REAL health CARE reform?

Feh ..... wasted breath.

Fukkemall

[Blue Owl]

37. Tough shit

Keep the checkbook far away from the warmongers.