On Tuesday, the Military Times<\/a> reported that the military has closed or cut hours at some outdoor swimming pools and water slides on our military bases.<\/p>\n The article reports:<\/p>\n The pools and water parks are typically open to active-duty personnel, family members, military retirees, Defense Department civilians and their guests. The costs can range from free to just a few dollars. The cutbacks are one tangible way the automatic spending cuts are affecting the broader military community.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEverybody\u2019s a little bit emotional,\u201d said Michael Martin, a spokesman for Joint Base Langley-Eustis<\/a> in Virginia. \u201cPeople are a little upset … These decisions are tough. They really are. But in the budgetary climate we\u2019re working in, these are the types of decisions we have to make. It\u2019s unfortunate.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Martin said the commander for the joint Army and Air Force base had already planned to close the outdoor pool at Fort Eustis<\/a> in Newport News prior to sequestration, but made the decision to close the outdoor pool at Langley Air Force Base<\/a> in Hampton following the automatic spending cuts ordered by Congress.<\/strong><\/p>\n This kind of thing sends me through the roof. Our military works hard, makes unbelievable sacrifices, and is paid little. They don’t deserve to have what little family recreation they have taken away.<\/p>\n In October 2012, the Heritage Foundation<\/a> listed some of the recent examples of how the government spends money:<\/p>\n Follow the link above to read more. To Congress this is a game. To the American military<\/a> and the American taxpayer it is not a game.<\/p>\n In March, I posted an article<\/a> about the Congressional Democrats in Massachusetts. They spent nearly $200,000 in bonuses, pay hikes and new hires in a timeworn tradition of end-of-the-year handouts. Despite their concern about closing the federal deficit<\/a>, the Massachusetts congressmen increased their payroll by $196,000 in the last three months of 2012.<\/p>\n Let’s cut Congress’ budget and leave the swimming pools for our military and their families. While we are at it, let’s ground Air Force One and open up the White House for tours.<\/p>\n One of the tricks the government uses to avoid having its budget trimmed is to make sure that when cuts are called for they are very visible and very painful. Local school departments will threaten sports programs or art and … Continue reading \n
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