Tagged: sequestration

A fundraiser swim across Narragansett Bay is in jeopardy because of federal sequestration.  The environmental group Save the Bay says the Navy can no longer help host the summer event that’s been going on for more than 30 years in Newport.

The group still plans to hold the swim but says it’s facing financial challenges.  Save the Bay says they’ve lost at least million dollars in annual federal funding over the past few years.  Their Newport aquarium was also destroyed in Superstorm Sandy. 

This year's Quonset Air Show is being canceled due to federal sequestration budget cuts.  The cutbacks led to all of the air show's military acts pulling out of the event.  Under Defense Department rules, the air show could not consist of only civilian air acts.  

The air show regularly draws over 100,000 people over the last weekend in June.  The air show has been running for over twenty years at Quonset Point.  

The Rhode Island Air National Guard says it will know by Friday whether or not to hold the Quonset Air Show this year.  The show is threatened by the impact of federal sequestration cuts.

The Quonset Air Show is one of the most popular events in Rhode Island, attracting some 100,000 people to North Kingstown every June. But this year’s show, scheduled for June 29th and 30th may be cancelled. Rhode Island Air National Guard spokesman Christopher Peloso says all seven military acts have cancelled due to federal sequestration cuts, leaving just seven civilian flying acts.

It’s been a month since the so-called “sequestration” cuts went into effect, the $85 billion in slashed federal spending for the rest of 2013.  Although the Defense Department will shoulder half the cuts, the Rhode Island National Guard says it has heard of no immediate changes. But the hammer’s coming down on social service programs.