FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A union that represents civilian workers at Fort Bragg is asking the congressional delegation to fight potential budget cuts.
The American Federal of Government Employees has sent letters to U.S. Rep. Renee Elmers and Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, The Fayetteville Observer (https://bit.ly/1pXKgKE) reported.
The letters ask the lawmakers to help avoid devastating cuts to the civilian and military workforce at Fort Bragg. It also calls on the lawmakers to fight across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration.
An Army report released earlier this year outlining a worst-case scenario projected Fort Bragg could lose as many as 16,000 students. That report said the region could lose nearly 22,000 jobs. The worst-case scenario could be a loss of $1 billion in the local economy.
The report estimates that local governments would lose more than $11 million in tax collections. More than 40,000 people might move away from the area.
Local military and business leaders say the worst-case scenario is unlikely because of the unique units and commands at Fort Bragg.
A reduction in regular U.S. forces might be at least partially offset as the Army increases its special operations forces at Fort Bragg.
In the letters, union Local 1770’s political and legislative co-chairman, Robert Randles, asked the delegation to work together to overturn sequestration and protect Fort Bragg from the cuts.
“While the Army may have applied criteria based on the same senseless basis as sequestration, it is incumbent upon Congress to change course before we decimate military readiness and local communities,” Randles wrote.
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Information from: The Fayetteville Observer, https://www.fayobserver.com
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