Will Fleet Week, Blue Angels Be Axed In San Francisco?
Military budget cuts could put a severe damper on one of the most popular events of the year in San Francisco, Fleet Week.
In an internal memo, the U.S. Navy announced plans to cut all funding for the Blue Angels if the so-called sequestration takes place on March 1. The cuts would affect air shows planned for the second half of 2013, including Fleet Week in San Francisco. The canceling of the 30 shows across the country would save the Navy an estimated $20 million.
Grounding the Blue Angels is just part of a drastic set of cuts that would take place if Congress does not pass a bill to avert the sequester as the memo states the Navy is facing an additional $4 billion in cuts for fiscal year 2013.
Fleet Week is always one of the city’s most popular events, normally attracting more than a million spectators each year.
