Cash crunch forces Army base to send contract workers home

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - Robbing Peter to pay Paul is a historic tool in the arcane process of balancing military budgets, but this year Army commanders seem to be taking early and unusual measures to keep the lights on and basic services working.

At one base, Fort Rucker, Ala., the home of Army Aviation for half a century, temporary stop-work orders were issued Monday to 120 contract employees, who were sent home to wait without pay for further developments.

Disappearing with those employees were such services as mowing the grass, maintaining the chemical-parts washers for flight line mechanics, providing government cars and the gasoline they run on, photography and graphic services, photocopying services, storage of household goods for families on the move and counseling for families in crisis.

Officers at Fort Rucker even lost service to their hand-held BlackBerry e-mail devices.
...
Barno blamed part of the problem on large increases in the cost of fuel this year. The Army has spent $720 million more on fuel than had been budgeted. Fuel is a key expense at Fort Rucker, which trains nearly 3,000 helicopter pilots a year for the Army and other services.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12305250.htm

[ogradda]

1. But we're the richest nation in the world!

However can this be?:sarcasm:

[KeepItReal]

2. OPEC is putting the screws to Uncle Sam?

It is hard to imagine that "in a time of war" the government has to pay retail prices for fuel?? And our oil companies are making *RECORD PROFITS*??

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Fort Rucker, Ala - could there be a more useless waste of

money than a place like that, other than Iraq?

[leetrisck]

5. I can think of some that are more useless

by far

[Judi Lynn]

4. Gotta make those tax cuts to the wealthy permanent!

Heaven forbid they should be asked to help as much as everyone else.