Fleet Weeks A Casualty Of Federal Sequester -- Reuters
(Reuters) - The ships won't be coming in this year.
Six cities, from New York to San Diego, are bracing for cuts or outright cancellations of their annual Fleet Weeks, spring and summer events when the Navy opens its ships to tours for the general public and crowds of sailors pour into local bars and restaurants.
The events are a casualty of the sequester -- $85 billion in cuts to the federal budget that began to kick in on March 1, threatening temporary layoffs for hundreds of thousands of workers and causing the Defense Department to pull the funds that would have allowed aircraft carriers, submarines and other vessels to participate in the events.
"No branch of armed forces can participate in community relations or outreach events that come at an additional cost to the government or rely on anything other than local assets or personnel," said Beth Baker, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's mid-Atlantic region. "This is not a decision that was made lightly, and this is one of many steps the Navy is taking to make sure we use resources to support our armed forces."
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More News On The Upcoming Cancellations Or Cuts For The 6 Cities That Participate In Fleet Week
With Federal Budget Cuts, Something Will Be Missing From Fleet Week: The Sailors -- New York Times
Fleet Week Funds Dry Up -- Wall Street Journal
Fleet Week falls victim to budget cuts, with fewer vessels participating -- New York Daily News/AP
Sailors get that sinking feeling after Fleet Week falls victim to budget cuts -- The Guardian
Absence of fleet during “Fleet Week” a loss for sailors and the community -- Miami Herald
Is a World Without Fleet Week a World You'd Want to Live in? -- Philip Bump, Atlantic Wire