Florida lawmakers make push to keep Navy's carrier fleet at 12

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=26416

Three Florida members of Congress announced legislation Wednesday to mandate that the Navy keep 12 aircraft carriers in its fleet, a move prompted by Pentagon proposals to decommission the Florida-based USS Kennedy to save money.

Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., criticized Pentagon officials for considering the proposal, which they say would jeopardize national security, as well as financially devastate northern Florida.

“We should be wise enough to recognize that at a time of war, our nation needs 12 carriers,” Martinez said. “We all hope there could be such a time when we don’t need this kind of defense, but it’s not now.”

Navy officials refused to comment on the legislation and budget proposal. Navy Secretary Gordon England spoke to all three lawmakers last week to inform them of the Kennedy’s proposed shutdown, which could save about $1.2 billion.

[cosmicdot]

1. decisions, decisions ... that $1.2 billion would be blown in a week ...

"Costs are escalating more than $1 billion a week, with the total now exceeding $100 billion."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1132110

... financially devastate northern Florida ...

it's hard work balancing the Radical Republican budget

[olddad56]

2. these assholes don't care about the ship...

they only care about the impact to the economy in their state.

[oneighty]

3. Not to mention

a few thousand military ballots to play with.

180

[ugarte]

4. How am I supposed to sleep at night?

Knowing there's only eleven carriers instead of twelve.

[MADem]

5. Oddly enough, the tsunami

...reminded the Congress how fast you can get a carrier on station when you need one. The stinkin' Lincoln was on station and pumping fresh water and ferrying supplies pretty quick. They made the USA look good, for a change. It could be a saving grace for 12, which most flags I know say is a floor in the current environment, not a ceiling.

We all hope for a more peaceful environment, but with the way the weecowboy is playing the game, we don't have that luxury.

[Florida_Geek]

6. This is going to get funny

Bill Nelson wants the Navy to move one of the (I think 3) carriers out of Virginia to Jax as a replacement for the JFK if it is decommissioned. It will be interesting to see if they do decommission the JFK will Virginia allow one carrier to be moved to Florida.

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Why do they want to decomm the JFK, and not the Kitty Hawk?

The JFK is several years newer than the Kitty Hawk (and both are conventionally powered). Is this another instance of the BFEE trying to remove all traces of Democratic President-heroes (ala the Roosevelt dime)???:grr:

It's bad enough that they're fucking with the present. Why do they want to fuck with history, too???:grr:

[Florida_Geek]

8. And she just got a 350 million update

One could wonder why.

[Cooley Hurd]

9. Maybe Poppy's mad that his plot backfired...

...and turned JFK into a martyr/hero? :shrug:

[Boosterman]

12. Dont think so

from what I read the kitty hawk was refitted a few years ago. so its time to ditch one. I was under the impression though that we were adding a new ship in soon. why cant it go to florida?

[sbj405]

10. VA need not worry so long as they have John Warner nt

[deminflorida]

11. This is exactly what I expected. Along with the earlier.....

proposed defense cuts. One of the the largest job expansions in the state is in the Northern Florida city of Crestview because of the Aerospace industry. But with the new round of Aerospace industry cuts looks like that's going away soon as well.

Then there's the Naval shipyard workers in Miss. Gulf Coast.

Increases in unemployment from the Gulf Coast to Jaxsonville. Those areas are safe for Republicans so they figure they can get away with this.

Now is the time to turn the tide on the asswipes. If the DLC wants to make an impact now is the time to start spending political dollars down here getting these facts out to the public. Who knows maybe the DLC is in on this shit as well.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Decommissioning this ship right now is wrong, no matter its name

This will, in fact, have a deleterious impact on our operational readiness. We're already stretched way too thin by the madness of Chimpus Khan. We can't afford to go with only 11 carriers.

[Mika]

14. Gotta keep the imperialism rollin'

Privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize privatize

[AlbizuX]

15. THIS IS STUPID

has no one read of the Russian Sunburn missile?

Go on Google and read...

The Sunburn costs infinitely less than any ship in the U.S. Navy Fleet, and can bypass ANY U.S. missile defense systems.

As one prominent website described them, carriers have become floating "deathtraps"....

Iran has sunburns, as do other countries doing business with Russia.

Why are we sending these carriers into certain death? The French Exocet missiles are three times LESS powerful than the Sunburn, and the Argentines were able to sink British ships with those.

Why do we think we are invulnerable to the Sunburn?

[Catchawave]

16. If the Pentagon wants to save money....

...get rid of those fat-assed civilian contractors who continually sell the military stuff they don't need and other "double-dippers".

I have a friend who makes 120k/year (on top of her military 06 retirement), never goes to work and laughs all the way to the bank!

Yeah, I'm jealous too:silly:

[Kolesar]

17. We could cut the SSBN nuclear missile submarine fleet

Who do we need to stealthily hide missiles from? Leonid Brezhnev?