JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- $500 billion in sequestration budget cuts scheduled for January 2013 could lead to thousands of jobs lost in Florida in the aerospace and defense industries.

A study by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) claims Florida could lose more than 39,000 jobs if Congress does not stop looming budget cuts.

Marion Blakey, president and CEO of the AIA, said that not only the workers in these industries would be affected by the cuts, but the communities they serve as well.
 
"If in fact we see sequestration, meaning these major budget cuts go through at the end of the year, and we are talking about high-paying good jobs, but we are also talking about folks who depend on these plant facilities in all the communities. It would be very devastating if in fact Congress doesn't take action and change the law," Blakey said.

According to a release from the AIA, the aerospace and defense industries support more than 167,000 jobs in Florida, which bring in $14 billion in revenue and $5 billion in exports. Kaman Aerostructures in Jacksonville supports thousands of those jobs, some of which could be in jeopardy.
 
"Probably better than 60 percent of our work here is tied to the military program. If the cuts as projected were to go through, the impact on our work force would be extremely significant," said Robert Kanaskie, president of Kaman.

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and Rep. Ander Crenshaw addressed the 400 workers at Kaman Aerostructures today. Their message today was to urge Congress to find an alternative to the cuts as soon as possible.

"When we look at our economy, 10 percent of Florida's economy is with the defense contracts industry, so that is why it is so important for myself for the state and the work force to speak out to the Congress, particularly the Senate and the President, to let them know that sequestration is not an option," Carroll said.

Crenshaw encouraged Congress to find the cuts by reforming the tax code.

"There are plenty of ways to find the revenue to not have to go through this devastating cut. Part of the way you do that is reform the tax code," Crenshaw said. "You broaden the base, you can actually bring down the rates but you generate more revenue so there are a lot of things we can do and we just need to get to work and get it done."

Or many could be out of work, like Robert Gianino, who has worked with Kaman for more than 30 years.

"It will be devastating. Nobody likes to have that hurdle that you got to get over from figuring out the mortgage to your house, your children and right up the line. Nobody likes the unemployment line."

First Coast News