Sequestration: The point was what again?

This article, linked on Flightaware.com sums up nicely the stupidity of both Sequestration, and the US government thanks in large part to lobbyists.

There is currently a plane (a Gulfstream G-159) owned by Phoenix Air sitting in a hanger in Georgia, in a non-flying role. The Government is paying $6,600 a month for the hanger space, and to keep the aircraft ready to fly.

The mission of the aircraft? To broadcast American television into Cuba to undermine communism there.

Starting in 1990 someone in the government came up with the bright idea of using television to undermine the communist government of Cuba, by providing uncensored information to Cubans through an American television station.

In 1989, then Senator Ernest Holling of SC, said "Castro likes to tout his revolutionary credentials, but he cannon begin to match the revolutionary potential of television."

On March 27, 1990 a balloon named Fat Albert, suspended over the Florida Keys began broadcasting into Cuba. The channel remained clear for about 20 minutes. Then Cuban television stations just started broadcasting over it. It also didn't help that they were broadcasting at like 4am to keep interference down.

In 1991, Fat Albert blew off into the Everglades, and was frequently required to be pulled down due to weather. It was finally destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Dennis.

So on to Plan B. In 2005 they moved on to a military C-130, which proved too expensive (the C-130 can run $7,000 an hour to operate). So in 2006, we have Aero Marti and her sister plane (retired). Since their introduction in 2006, they have cost $32 million dollars. That's $12,000 a day.

In 2008 (and this is absolutely genius) the GAO conducted a phone survey of Cubans to see how many were seeing the broadcasts. It matched the same survey done in 2006, and 2003, and 1990. Less than 1% of Cubans surveyed had seen the broadcasts.

Now here's where it gets even funnier. Congress refuses to cut spending for the program and allow it to be retired. The program has been protected for years by Cuban American lawmakers, and non-Cuban legislators from Florida. The worst problems of the program are proof that it's succeeding.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart had this to say in an interview last week:

"If it wasn't important, why would they block the signals? So we know that it's effective. It would...be a colossal waste of money to cancel the program now."

Carlos Garcia Perez, who heads the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which has asked the government to cancel the program said, "We have evolved from the airplane to distribute our TV content toward means that we know are popular on the island". These include DirectTV, and DVD.

The plane kept flying even after the request.

"No one dislikes TV Marti more than the Cuban government. Do we therefore, essentially, give in to those efforts by the regime and do their job for them?” Mauricio Claver-Carone the head of the US-Cuba Democracy PAC.

When sequestration hit, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting had to cut $1.4 million out of the budget, so they kept the plane, but stopped flying. So now they pay $79,500 a year to keep it stored in a hanger.

“If the government thinks they may someday resurrect the program, then it would not be in their best interest to have us scrap the airplane,” said Dent Thompson, an official at Phoenix Air. So Phoenix Air essentially can't scrap the plane, Congress isn't paying attention to small budget items, and the plane sits in limbo.

Source

I seem to be under the mistake impression that Sequestration was designed to cut unnecessary programs out of the budget, was I wrong about that? Because it sure seems that they're slashing the military (which I agree does need to be cut and changed into a more surgical force than a sledgehammer force, just not haphazardly), and necessary programs and leaving these idiotic programs in place. For example, the cost of the hanger, per year, is the average cost for 9 children in Head Start (which has eliminated services for 57,000 children under Sequestration).

So here's my challenge to you ATS. What other idiotic programs are going on that should be cut. Let's try to gather as much information as we can, and see if we can't raise hell about it. Instead of just sitting on our butts complaining, let's actually try to make a difference. Instead of just arguing about how the world is going to end, or if we're going to attack Syria, let's actually try to DO something. List as much information as you can about the programs we can find here, and let's see what we can come up with.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Haha, another brilliant example of federal budgeting and how incompetent they can be sometimes. How do you cancel out one reoccurring cost to substitute with another (Hanger Fee).

Zaph, what you have proposed it quite daunting, there would be literally hundreds of examples of wasted effort and money on the part of the federal and state governments.

The tens of thousands of dollars spent on a Star Trek parody is probably the most ridiculous...Can we start there and blast that ship out of the sky

Another one, that could have a practical solution, would be the billions of dollars of military equipment left behind in war zones. Can we not do more with that stuff to actually recover some of that cost?

reply to post by MDDoxs


It is daunting, but you know what? I'm tired of hearing people bitch and do nothing, and of myself bitching and doing nothing. If we sit on our butts and let this happen, there is no reason it won't happen for as long as there is a US. So by god let's do something for a change.

reply to post by Zaphod58

I seem to be under the mistake impression that Sequestration was designed to cut unnecessary programs out of the budget, was I wrong about that?

the Sequestration is not for culling programs or even spending..


Sequestration is about keeping all funded programs going...but without the automatic 5% increases that is built into the next years funding allotments

a necessary step in weaning all these agencies from the sows' teat as it were

reply to post by St Udio


And yet, how many have been "weaned from the teat" to date? None. They simply find other ways to fund them, or do like this one and keep them around when they're utterly useless until they can get funding again.

i'm for chopping the F-35, a huge waste of $$ for something we don't really need.

And the Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Which has turned out to be a piece of crap, yet they want to build more pieces of crap.

The only point behind sequestration was the Democrats attempting to blame budgeting problems on anyone other then themselves. They have had control of the White House and the Senate (who does the budget) for how many years now?

reply to post by Zaphod58


Amen


each Agency must budget all the programs under their watch
And they are not above cutting the funding for a less desirable program under their care ---
they internally make an Agency cut to the programs they dislike... so they can apply more funds to their own pet projects


also each session of Congress finds members returning from their own districts with a laundry list of must have needs so it progressivly gets worse


the intent of the built-in annual budget increases was to help prevent the Agency Czars from commandeering all the funds from the projects they deemed unneeded unappreciated by themselve..
.that was the reasoning for automatic increases but even that gets bastardized in the long run

reply to post by St Udio


Which is one reason why I want to try to bring some of these to light. Try to actually create a little outrage and maybe get some of these killed. Chances are it won't work, but you know, if we sit here and do nothing, then it definitely won't work.

reply to post by Zaphod58


How could anyone be opposed to the project? It's fighting commies...who doesn't hate commies?

That's why this plane is still being paid for. Communism. If you vote to get rid of it you're labelled a dirty commie lover and inhibitor of freedom for Cubans. Welcome to pet projects within the government.

reply to post by links234


NO...

This is the reason they aren't stopping :

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart had this to say in an interview last week:

"If it wasn't important, why would they block the signals? So we know that it's effective. It would...be a colossal waste of money to cancel the program now."

It's the same foolish logic that most families use today. "Look how much money we spent on that! We gotta at least get something good out of it for it to be worth something!"

Then the teenager speaks up and says, "You're like an idiot ma, it's a money pit, throw the dang turbo-charged banana peeler away already. I can't hear my favorite emo music and I might just cut myself."

All I know is there's no point in the US having a bunch of awesome aircraft if sequestration means the closest I get to seeing one all year here in the UK is when a KC-135 goes over at FL350, which isn't really 'seeing' anything at all. RIAT isn't the same without USAF.