Don Gaetz: Grounding of Blue Angels a 'Highly Visible Symbol of Government Dysfunction'

The Navys famous air show, the Blue Angels, plans to cancel nearly 30 events, including one in Florida, now that the budget sequester has been enacted.

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, lamented the loss of the air show, which was scheduled for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., April 6-7.

If someone you dont know gets furloughed from a job at a military base, thats something you read about in the newspaper. But if the Blue Angels are grounded, thats a highly visible symbol of government dysfunction, Gaetz said Friday.

As important as they are and as symbolic as they are," he said, "[the Blue Angels] arent as important as making sure that someone in a nursing home gets care or someone in aerospace gets a paycheck. But, obviously, sometimes its the symbols that resonate with people and bring the issue home.