Looming cuts could have severe impact on Middle Georgia

The “looming March 1 deadline” of the across-the-board

Defense Department budget cuts known as sequestration has the 21st Century

Partnership informing the area of the potential impact on Middle Georgia.

“The No. 1 national security threat is our current budget

crisis,” stated President of the 21st Century Partnership Maj. Gen. Bob McMahon

(retired) at the Museum of Aviation Monday.

If sequestration is to take place, of the $1.2 trillion in

cuts to the Department of Defense (DOD) and discretionary spending, the DOD

will receive $487 billion of those cuts over the next 10 years.

McMahon warned the audience that while the March 1 deadline

is a little over a month away, Robins Air Force Base is already receiving hits.

“We are feeling these impacts today,” he said

McMahon listed several of the impacts currently being felt

at Robins AFB. The list includes a civilian hiring freeze, cuts to temporary

employees, no renewal of term employees, the elimination of travel that is not

mission-critical and the limiting of supply purchases.

He went on to outline two of the next steps, which are

“civilian furloughs of up to 30 calendar days or 22 discontinuous workdays” and

to “cancel the third and fourth quarter depot level maintenance activities.”

McMahon explained that the impact the cancellation of the

third and fourth quarter depot level maintenance activities would “carry on

into the next fiscal year.”

He also explained that the furlough “equates to 14.6 percent

pay cut per individual.” This is in addition to the two percent increase to

Social Security, which is due to the lapse in the temporary cut to Social

Security withholding.

“These haven’t taken place yet,” he stressed. “I can’t tell

you if one or all 15,000 employees will be effected.”

McMahon said there could be “$83 million in lost earnings

and $54 million in lost spending potential between March and Sept. 13,” after

showing a math problem that detailed a reduction of $5,525 in pay per employee

at Robins AFB.

He stated the financial stress that could possibly be placed

on employees at the base could create uncertainty in their lives.

McMahon asked the community to “think about what we can do

collectively to take care of our own.”

Perry Area Chamber of Commerce President Stacy Campbell said

now would be the time to prepare the area’s churches and volunteer

organizations to help. She said the chamber would send out information on the

cuts.

“Preparation is key,” said Shannon Harvey, the CEO of River

Edge Behavioral Health Center in Macon, who explained that the center would

distribute information regarding planning and being proactive. She said the

center is open to all.

McMahon stated at the end of his presentation, “My dearest

hope is that our President and Congress will begin to do what we ask them to do

– that is to govern.”

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