Ohio leaders on countdown to fed cuts

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The clock was ticking as the House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces met Thursday morning and testifying were military leaders including Lieutenant General Michael Moeller of the U.S. Air Force.
They expressed concerns about the chipping away of our nation's military readiness.

Lt. General Michael Moeller said, "Future budget planning is like painting a color by numbers picture while blindfolded in the back of a C-130 flying through a thunderstorm. I think everyone sitting here would echo that. That accurately describes the level of uncertainty in the future."

The Chairman of that House Subcommittee is Republican Congressman Mike Turner of Dayton.
2 NEWS spoke with Turner after the meeting.

Turner said, "Our community has been identified as number three in the nation most impacted by the defense cuts because they don't fall just on the civilian personnel they fall on contracting."

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown told 2 NEWS, "Well this is way more than drama. This is a big concern
probably nowhere more in the state than in the Miami Valley."  Brown is hopeful agreement can be reached this weekend, though he said Republicans need to be willing to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and close tax loopholes.

"We're hearing a lot of figures. We met with the number two person Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense today, wouldn't give exact numbers, don't know for sure, it's a serious, serious concern, and it's a major pay hit whether they're military or civilian and frankly they're contractors or small businesses working with Wright Patt," said Senator Brown.

During Turner's subcommittee hearing the number of civilian employees facing potential furlough at Wright-Patterson AFB was put at 14,000 with full impact coming in 30 to 45 days.