The 2013 Cleveland National Air Show is the latest local victim of federal sequestration.
Due to such budget cuts, this year’s incarnation of the famous Labor Day weekend U.S. Navy Blue Angels show has been ripped from the calendar. The decision to cancel the event was forced upon the organizers via a soon-to-be-enacted prohibition on these types of events.
“All aerial demonstrations, including flyovers, jump team demonstrations, and participation in civilian air shows and military open houses will cease as of April 1, 2013,” according to the Department of Defense.
The event typically draws nearly 100,000 people downtown each year. Hundreds of thousands more tend to *think* about going each year, but usually end up shrugging it off and throwing some burgers on the grill.
The air show’s official website exclaims that planning for the 2014 event is already under way.
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.
I say lets celebrate the end of Summer with fireworks and beer!!!!
If we’re broke, I hate to say it, but the government eating the costs on fly-bys for air shows just isn’t in the budget. Now, that being said, I’m sure there are plenty of other wasteful things that members of congress keep wasting money on (aka their pet projects) that we can cut instead of something like this. I always felt the fly-bys were a great show of our might and I’m disappointed they are gone. If we’re going to cut out things like this, though, then we better start cutting the rest of the wasteful crap. Everyone sacrifices, not just the taxpayers.
<---- sad panda