| OP-ED | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Babette Josephs |
|
Smart security spending in today's economic climate
by state Rep. Babette Josephs
It's budget time. Here in Pennsylvania, Gov. Corbett's proposed budget slashes funding for both public and higher education, and his priority of favoring big business at the expense of families is misguided.
Similarly, our elected officials in Washington, D.C., are misdirected, proposing deep cuts to federal spending, but keeping the military budget intact.
Rather than treating our military budget as sacrosanct, it's time for an honest conversation about Pentagon spending.
We cannot afford wasteful spending. Spending on the Pentagon, wars and nuclear weapons consumes OVER HALF the discretionary budget every year. Yet all other discretionary programs struggle to survive with their tiny slices of the pie. These programs? Education. Environment. First responders. Energy. Health. Job training. Aren't these the very things that make us more secure?
Excessive military spending has very real consequences. Based on the president's budget proposal for 2012, we in Pennsylvania are expected to contribute $21.1 billion toward military spending. I want our country to be safe and secure, and I believe our federal government has a duty to protect us. But I do not believe that the Pentagon's budget should continue to increase while vital programs face huge cutbacks. If just some of that $21.1 billion could be spent back here at home, in our local communities, imagine what we could do with it. Properly fund education. Offer health insurance to the working poor. Fix our roads and bridges. Create jobs. Fund our libraries. Protect the environment. The list goes on. We need to invest to ensure our future prosperity. That's where I want to see our money invested.
Military experts have identified many potential cuts to military spending without jeopardizing our nation's security. We can cut funding for weapons systems that don't work or were designed to fight the last century's wars. For example, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle was designed to storm beaches, something we haven't done for decades. Cutting this outmoded program with its serious cost overruns and technical difficulties would save $5 billion annually. Defense contractors, of course, vigorously oppose any cuts and spend millions lobbying for their projects. However, we can -- and we must -- find ways to reduce defense spending.
I urge Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation to work with their colleagues and the president to responsibly reduce military spending. Not only will our nation be just as safe, but we will free up federal dollars to help the states provide the services that keep us secure in the current economic climate. That's what I call smart security and it's just what our state's families and communities need in today's economic climate.
Rep. Babette Josephs represents the 182nd District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She is a member of the Women Legislators' Lobby, a national nonpartisan network of women state legislators who work together to influence federal policy and budget priorities.
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| CONTACT: Amy Giancoli Hartman |