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Military town braces for budget cuts

Tuesday, March 05, 2013 - 01:50

March 4 - Budgets cuts directed at the armed forces are expected to have a ripple effect in military towns like Quantico, Virginia where most of the businesses cater to the Marines. Deborah Gembara reports.

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In the town of Quantico, Virginia, the drycleaner uses extra starch and the haircuts are high and tight. Locals in this military town, just a half hour outside of Washington D.C. say the government spending cuts caused by the current budget impasse cut just a little too close. Marine Corps Colonel Steve Maravillas. SOUNDBITE: Steve Maravillas, United States Marine Corps, Saying : "If they do the 20 percent layoff - I think it would be fairly devastating. Twenty percent of loss of income is huge for most people. Most people don't save 20 percent of their income." Service members say the cuts won't just hurt their quality of life, they could impact military readiness. And the damage isn't expected to end there. It will also impact hundreds of businesses who cater to the military. In Washington, the president and congress appeared to be no closer to any sort of agreement. SOUNDBITE: U.S. President Barack Obama saying: "We are going to manage it the best we can to try to minimize the impacts on American families but it's not the way for us to go about deficit reduction." This is cold comfort for military contractors who know exactly what the cutback process known as sequestration will cost their families. SOUNDBITE: Royce Hicks, Electrical Engineer, Department Of Public Works, Quantico Marine Corps Base saying : "It will knock us down to about 80 percent of our salary. It makes me feel like Congress and the President are doing everything they can not to do what's best." Unless the President and congress can reach an agreement, more cuts are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks and months, adding a new uncertainty to a community build on precision.

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Military town braces for budget cuts

Tuesday, March 05, 2013 - 01:50