Future // Prepare NOW if in the mid-Atlantic region.
As a Virginian and as a defense industry specialist, am very concerned about the impact of Congress not passing balanced budgets or able to get its (our) financial house in order.
The failure of the Super Committee to reach agreement means that there will be mandatory budgetary cuts in defense spending beginning in FY2013, thus personnel cuts, per a study done by Stephen S. Fuller, Ph.D., of George Mason University for the aerospace industry.
FY2013 budget cuts being October 2012, just barely 10 months from now.
Virginia – we are at greatest risk in the country. Industry studies guesstimate that 123,000 Virginia jobs will be lost directly due to these cuts. Yet the impact will be much larger as Virginia and our neighboring states make up almost 20% of total cuts: 209,724 jobs are on the chopping block.
To put things into perspective, Baltimore is closer to Prince William County, Virginia (the southern edge of northern Virginia) than is Richmond our capital (52 vs 88 miles).
Most Maryland military bases are between Baltimore and the Virginia line.
Defense jobs at risk in the mid-Atlantic region due to mandatory defense cuts: 209,724
Many of the jobs in those neighboring states are filled by Virginians, and vice versa to some degree.
New Jersey does not border Virginia but it has a major impact on the function of many Maryland bases (such as Fort Meade) which in turn has major impact on many of the military functions and funding in Virginia ~ Fort Meade is home to the NSA, America’s largest intelligence agency and a major driver of the Virginia economy.
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