The US Navy Is Running Out Of Bucks

[unhappycamper]

unhappycamper note: Since the ‘Pentagon’ (DoD? Gannett?) has ‘requested’ that I only post one paragraph from articles on Army Times, and Airforce Times, To keep in that same (new) tradition, I will also do the same for for articles on Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, stripes.com and military.com.
To read the article in the military's own words, you will need to click the link.

Read all about Fair Use here. It sure is beginning to smell like fascism.

unhappycamper summary of this article:Talk about stupid. Cancel one of the three $5+ billion dollar Zumwalt-class destroyers being built and you'll have the bucks to keep stuff running.



Budget holdup delaying ship maintenance
By Sam Fellman - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Feb 19, 2011 8:18:32 EST

As it stands, the Navy has less than three weeks left of a budget. No one knows what comes next. That uncertainty has left planners reconsidering yard repairs and scheduled projects on-the-fly. Already, the Navy has canceled five shipyard availabilities set for March and April, and as many as 29 are on the chopping block if Congress renews the funding extension, known as a continuing resolution, instead of passing the proposed budget.

[RKP5637]

1. Let's see, maybe if we also kept our noses out of a few countries that might save

some bucks too. When I think about the scope/size of the MIC, it's really hard IMO for one to conclude we are not all about American Imperialism and greed for the MIC.

[Hubert Flottz]

2. Maybe the CEOs will lend them some cash?

[spanone]

3. take a page out of the girl scouts manual...have a cookie sale

[somone]

4. USN may be stranded on high seas. Wire money ASAP

:sarcasm:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. From the prior comments it is clear those posters are clueless about the Federal budgeting process

Right now there is no FY11 Federal budget in place. Many are unaware that the entire Federal government is operating on CRA. That means incremental funding at best for most activities and generally no more than the prior year (there are exceptions). New starts planned for this FY are effectively unfunded.



Some links to aid in understanding:


What is CRA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuing_resolution


Current Fed Budget Status:

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/appropriations/13...

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/01/26/house-presses-fo... /



FY11 Presidents Budget: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budge...

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Your point doesn't address the US military's budget

nor the OP's ....

Oh.... Let 's keep doing it because that's the way it is..

OK professor.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. You do not seem to get it either...and it is impacting much more than just the military

[social_critic]

14. That's fine

I don't have a problem if they all go home. We do need to save money, so we can close the military down. Do you think they serve a useful purpose? I don't.

[jeff47]

22. You're forgetting something

CRA affects the entire federal government. Not just DoD.

So continuing without a budget means no Social Security, for example. No budget means there's nobody to print and mail the checks.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. I do get it.. but you seem to be in the old mind set

as usual and speak through their channels of thinking.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. Actually I am being practical...we do not have a Federal budget in place

and it is impacting a lot more than just the USN. It also is hurting education, transportation, stimulus and other areas. It is blocking many policy areas that are important to the administration and the rest of us.

Not sure how that translates into your thinking, but for me it is simple...people are being impacted and it is a bad thing

[Ichingcarpenter]

19. Oh.... right the Military Industrial Complex is being impacted

like the rest....... Give me a break ... I'm sorry
you are not being practical nor honest.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. What part of the "entire Federal government" do you not understand

Yes it includes the DoD...and everything else. It is also impacting the policies of the administration in many areas.

By fixating on one thing you are blinding yourself to the other impacts which has nothing to do with the MIC

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. Tell me if what you say is right which it isn't... why

was the DOD's budget increased?

[somone]

11. Okay, thanks for learning us rubes

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. I had to look that word up.... with 4 degrees

rube (rb)
n. Slang
An unsophisticated country person.

Yep.... that's me.

[Kaleva]

6. Cancelling one of the Zumwalt destroyers wouldn't save a penny.

Navy contracts are written in such a way that once production of a ship passes a certain point, there is a hefty liability in canceling the construction of same. It would thus cost the Federal govt. more to cancel one of the ships then to finish building it.

The Zumwalt class was originally projected to be a class of 24 ships. But as no work had been done on all but the first three, it cost the govt. nothing to cancel the remaining 21.

[unhappycamper]

15. Actually, we already have spent on $10+ billion of two of these bad boys.

Late in 2010 the Navy ordered three more.

And they laid the keel (I think) on a $40 billion dollar Ford-class aircraft carrier.

[Kaleva]

25. Much of that 10 billion was spent on various designs..

of which the final was the Zumwalt destroyer.

"SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) was a program started in 1994 to design land attack ships for the United States Navy. A wide variety of designs were examined, including an arsenal ship with 500 cruise missiles, but eventually a "tumblehome" design of around 16,000 tons with two long-range guns and 128 missile tubes was selected as the DD-21, the Destroyer for the 21st century. However the program was cancelled in November 2001, with a cheaper version of the DD-21 emerging as the DD(X) or Zumwalt class destroyer."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD21

[City Lights]

7. Schools have resorted to sending kids out selling a variety of items.

Maybe it's time for the Navy to get creative. Send the generals out with order forms to walk through neighborhoods or set up shop outside grocery stores. If it's good enough for the schools, it's good enough for the Navy.

[underpants]

8. Damn Hampton Roads might just realize who pays their salaries

the shipyard is the lifeblood of the whole economy there

[social_critic]

12. Emergency measures are needed to help the Navy

I think they should ask every admiral who has anything to do with the Navy's budget to retire. They can also park their aircraft carriers in suitable ports, and charge admission to the public while the crews perform singing and dancing acts. The nuclear subs can come back to port and the crews can be used to mow lawns or other productive work. And the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan can come back and help take care of their wounded buddies. Do you know how this will impact national defense? It will improve it. And we'll save a ton of money.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. The problem is that it is not just the USN

The OP is from the Navy Times, which comments on the USN aspects of this, but it is much much broader. The entire Federal Government is in the same boat (pun intentional) including the Depts of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Interior, Education...

[elias49]

13. What a pity. I guess the Navy should 'tighten its belt'

that's what every other group/constituency/industry is called to do in difficult financial times.

Suck it up.

[jeff47]

23. A lot of posters seem to be missing the forest for the trees on this one

They're cheering the DoD running out of money. But they're forgetting it's the entire federal government, not just DoD.

For example, no budget means no Social Security. Not because it's out of money, but because there's nobody to print and mail the checks.

Meanwhile, the R's in the house are using the budget bill as a "placate the base with things that will never pass the Senate" bill, meaning it's going to take even longer to get a budget.

Government shutdown, here we come! And with all those people getting laid off, double-dip recession here we come! But boy isn't it great to screw the DoD?

[Lars77]

26. How about parking a couple of aircraft carriers? nt