Posted by Alli Lewis
Budgets all over the world are tight right now and the military is making some cut-backs of their own. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, proposing a $534 billion budget, has recommended several changes to the way our money is being spent. Secretary Gates attributes these changes to the changes of our nation's priorities from "fighting conventional wars to the newer threats."
The proposal, in which he's halted production of F-22 fighter jet and a new helicopter for the president, will be reducing what the Pentagon can spend, whereas their spending money had doubled under the Bush administration. Since wars are being fought more differently now, Secretary Gates would like to shift spending into other areas as opposed to the tanks, fighter planes, ships, and so forth that made up about a third of defense spending last year.
With the economy as it is, Congress will probably have some strong opposition to some of Secretary Gates' ideas. These cuts could potentially layoff a great number of contractors. I think Secretary Gates seems to be on the right track. Whether or not this plan is optimal isn't quite clear and I think it may have some flaws that need to be worked out, but overall, it seems like a step in the proper direction at least. With the economy so poor and the budget so wildly over, something needs to be done.
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