Stu Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 i know we are talking about The Marine's here but also skirting political . I guess Marine issue may be considered political as far as monies BUT it's starting to sound Like Fox News :rolleyes:/>/> This thread is about the USMC D&B Corps and DCI Finals; Boo wanted us to contact our Senators and Representatives requesting them to support sending that performing unit to future DCI Finals; I am concerned, due to the MASSIVE increasing national debt, about who should pay for their services to attend the those DCI finals, the taxpayers or DCI (which is a legitimate concern). I do not see how news networks enter the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Yes, well, if enough people agree with you, then there will be no more Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, and if enough people agree with Michael Boo, they will not only continue to exist but will be able to make more appearances. As for the underlying economic and political causes (as to whether a significant part of that massive debt, for instance, is caused by a combination of two unfunded wars and tax cuts), it's simply not going to be possible for us to discuss them here. Suffice it to say my views are probably contrary to yours. If you want the MASSIVE spiraling out of control national debt to decrease, realizing that sometimes it takes accepting the sacrifice of non-vital things we personally support or 'like', then we agree. However, we probably do disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) This thread is about the USMC D&B Corps and DCI Finals; Boo wanted us to contact our Senators and Representatives requesting them to support sending that performing unit to future DCI Finals; I am concerned, due to the MASSIVE increasing national debt, about who should pay for their services to attend the those DCI finals, the taxpayers or DCI (which is a legitimate concern). I do not see how news networks enter the picture. i would point out the comparisons almost word for word in some of the posts BUT it would be getting to political . I guess its hard not to considering the subject I guess Edited September 9, 2013 by GUARDLING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 If you want the MASSIVE spiraling out of control national debt to decrease, realizing that sometimes it takes accepting the sacrifice of non-vital things we personally support or 'like', then we agree. However, we probably do disagree. I admire your TENACITY; really, I do. Your caps use, not so much. As for vital vs. non-vital government programs, that's pretty much the whole point of this discussion: whether the Marine drum corps is worth prioritizing over something else. You say no; others may say yes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I admire your TENACITY; really, I do. Your caps use, not so much. As for vital vs. non-vital government programs, that's pretty much the whole point of this discussion: whether the Marine drum corps is worth prioritizing over something else. You say no; others may say yes. Yes the musical units play a role; I have high respect for the Hell Cats, for example, and thoroughly respect the dedication those performers have to upholding the honor of our nation. But if we are discussing 'priority', as in what should be placed at the top of the importance list, here is a question for you: Of all the various duties provided by the United States Military (i.e. Infantry, Fighter Pilots, Bomber Crews, Carrier Personnel, Sub Crews, Seals, Green Berets, Medical Teams,...) and yopu were 'prioritizing' that list where in that 'priority list' would you place the USMC D&B Corps, the Air Force Airmen of Note, etc...? Top priority level? Mid priority level? Low Priority level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
year1buick Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Any idea what the yearly operating cost/budget of the USMC Drum and Bugle corps is? (I did a quick Google search and didn't see anything; I'm still curious but don't really have the time or energy to search further. ) It would be interesting to see how it compares to the overall armed forces budget as a whole. (I realize that everything counts, and agree that it's not really essential-- still, I'm guessing it's a small fraction.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 This thread is about the USMC D&B Corps and DCI Finals; Boo wanted us to contact our Senators and Representatives requesting them to support sending that performing unit to future DCI Finals; I am concerned, due to the MASSIVE increasing national debt, about who should pay for their services to attend the those DCI finals, the taxpayers or DCI (which is a legitimate concern). I do not see how news networks enter the picture. Rather, I provided the information for those who would wish to do just that, and to provide the reason for why the corps wasn't at the World Championships; since few probably knew the reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Any idea what the yearly operating cost/budget of the USMC Drum and Bugle corps is? (I did a quick Google search and didn't see anything; I'm still curious but don't really have the time or energy to search further. :smile:/> ) It would be interesting to see how it compares to the overall armed forces budget as a whole. (I realize that everything counts, and agree that it's not really essential-- still, I'm guessing it's a small fraction.) I don't know the budget/expenses, but the corps performs in Washington DC on almost a daily basis, representing the Marine Corps and serving as a recruitment tool. Many of the performances are for visiting dignitaries. Once a week throughout most of the year, they perform at the US Marine Corps War Memorial, (better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial), which each week attracts several hundred spectators to a memorial service in honor of all war dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Two sources; speaking with military personnel at NASCAR events and speaking with NASCAR personnel at NASCAR events. To save money, NASCAR secures military aircraft which are going to be in the air already on training missions, or they connect with military pilots who are going to be in the air to get in their yearly flight time hours; then NASCAR pays for the extra time and extra fuel it takes to do the fly-over. This is why the fly-overs are so varied in type of craft, sometimes F-16s, sometimes a Bomber, sometimes a fleet of cobra helicopters, etc.. but note that NASCAR does pay for the extra time and extra fuel. Ya know, some here on DCP make fun of me for admitting that I talk with a lot of people at various events, but hey, I like people and find their lives interesting. Military cuts could limit flyovers NASCAR doesn't pay for these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I sympathize with you, honest; my income in the private sector has fallen over 35%. I do not want to turn this into a political debate and get the thread locked, so I will tread lightly here. As a taxpayer, when I see our national debt now at $17,000,000,000,000 and rising at whopping $10,000 per second, that is per second, that is a 'grave' issue for me. I certainly desire to continue paying tax dollars 'for needed security and defense', but at this juncture I am also fine with not seeing/hearing the USMC D&B Corps or the Blue Angels perform at the taxpayers expense. Again, if DCI wants to have the USMC D&B Corps perform at Finals great; they should pay for the service just like NASCAR does for the military aircraft flyovers, and not lay that cost burden onto the taxpayers. The basic idea of mandatory budget cuts and forced sequestration do make for great politics, but has exactly the opposite of the imagined effect economically. It actually makes the situation worse by quickly and dramatically reducing cash in circulation in the public sector, further reducing both corporate and personal tax revenues. Think about this for a second... Dramatic reduction in spending to key contractors shifts them from being a tax contributor in one year, to claiming a loss the next year. Same with the number of business dependent on personal spending by individuals either directly employed by government or by government contractors. The point here is that in a sudden reduction in spending also triggers a sudden reduction in revenue, so there is little actual benefit. Not only this, this gap in revenue puts "air in the hose" that could, in fact, cause more serious problems than the one it was intended to resolve. While I agree the deficit is a huge issue, it is not something that can be solved through sudden dramatic cuts in spending, as it simultaneously cuts the source of revenue necessary to actually service that debt. The ONLY way out of debt is to generate more revenue, while shifting spending over the longer term. This can best be done through INCREASED spending, with an emphasis on INVESTMENT in sectors that will generate SUSTAINABLE revenues through EXPORTS. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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