Impact of possible federal budget cuts hit close to home

Posted: Feb 28, 2013 10:18 PM by Eric Ross
Updated: Mar 1, 2013 2:01 PM

Republicans and democrats continue to point the finger at one another for not reaching an agreement on spending.

President Barack Obama wants more revenue raised from taxing the wealthiest, while republicans want deeper spending cuts from the President and democrats in Congress.

The impact of Friday's possible cuts are hitting close to home at Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy.

"Our employees would potentially receive a 20-percent pay cut," Lt. Colonel Armando Hernandez said.

The Air Force Academy tells News 5 they may have to operate with less than 50-percent of their normal staff because of furloughs. It's still unclear exactly how many employees might be affected.

District 11 in Colorado Springs is also preparing for budget cuts.

"We could lose some people therefore the students suffer to," spokesperson Devra Asbhy said.

Not only could D-11 lose faculty members, it could cut back the number of resources available to students.

The district has been setting aside money in preparation for these budget cuts. However, Ashby says if funding isn't returned or an agreement isn't reached by summer, the district will be up against a $2 million deficit next year.

Other possible cuts include eliminating several air traffic controllers which could lead to delayed flights.

Stay with KOAA.com and News 5 for continuous updates on federal budget cuts which could go into effect Friday.