Such cuts could have major implications for Central Florida, where many of those programs sustain thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. The Orlando area has the largest defense presence of any region in Florida, which typically ranks among the top 10 states in the value of the defense contracts that flow its way. But if he's really committed to this tax cut, something's got to give. Even if the defense budget does increase some from what it was during the Clinton time, it can't go up as much as the Pentagon wants. There's simply not enough money.
Many contractors are hesitant to talk at all.
There's a major review going on at the Defense Department and, until it is complete, there's not much we can say. This time, however, the message may carry even greater weight because of the nation's current economic slump. While the slowdown has triggered tens of thousands of layoffs in other high-tech sectors, the defense industry's work force has remained relatively strong. In some cases, defense companies are even hiring as others are firing. Microchip giant Cirent Semiconductor in Orlando, for example, is cutting more than 400 of its 1,700 jobs, citing a slump in sales to personal-computer and telecommunications customers.