On Feb. 10, news agencies reported the U.S. Navy spent approximately $450,000 on the Super Bowl halftime performance. As it turns out, the roof of the stadium was closed for the performance. Fans, instead, watched fighter jets pass by on large television screens. The Navy debates the nearly half-million dollar figure, claiming the show only cost about $100,000 in fuel.

With the state of the economy and general outrage about how much the United States spends, the time has come to do away with the military flyover and other celebrations funded by tax payers. These flyovers are incorporated into the defense budget. Defense spending accounts for about 19 percent of the federal budget, only Social Security receives more money at approximately 20 percent.

The military has defended what it spent on the Super Bowl performance by claiming the show was a valuable opportunity for recruitment. Also important: Flyovers offer an important opportunity for training. Others defend flyovers as patriotic events. Fortunately for our wallets and our environment, there are better and more significant ways to express patriotism.

Somehow built into the overfunded budget for the military, the tax payers pay for flyovers written off as training missions. Military flyovers are a waste of money and of no use to the tax payers.

The military does not exist for our entertainment — it should only protect us. The military is unnecessarily ingrained in sports like baseball or football. Aside from the few thousand fans in the stadium who can see the planes for a total of 15 seconds, tax payers on the whole get basically nothing in return. These needless displays of military power at many sporting events not only cost the United Sates money but emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide, damaging our environment. An F-18 plane emits 14 tons an hour into our air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average home only emits 4 tons over an entire year.

Beyond the costs of flyovers, it is unclear how one might request a flyover and who is worthy of one. Suppose a little league baseball team meeting for the local championship wants a flyover. Almost certainly, this request would not be honored. To fix an unfair standard, flyovers should either be granted to all requests or none. Since tax payers pay for the military, anyone should be able to request a flyover.

In the face of massive budget cuts, the benefits the tax payers get from city-sponsored celebrations, such as military flyovers, are relatively small. To celebrate the victory of a sports team, everyone pays for the police officers and cleanup crews who are hired so the parade runs smoothly. Only a fraction of the people who pay for the celebration actually attend or enjoy the benefits.

In the case of my hometown, Boston, the city somehow finds money for celebrations. When teams like the Red Sox, Patriots or Celtics win championships, the city closes down roads for parades. Cities like New York do the same when the Yankees win. The teams do not pay for the expenses the city incurs, though there are some exceptions.

Imagine if the country and city saved all the money spent on military flyovers and city celebrations. Imagine if that money were spent on more worthy causes, such as improving America’s crumbling infrastructure or out-of-date public transportation systems.

Those who believe in fiscal responsibility need to carefully look for waste in the major portions of the budget. When the American tax payer gives $1 out of every $5 to defense, changes need to be made. Aside from stopping the irresponsible war in Iraq and failed war in Afghanistan, other parts of the defense budget, such as flyovers, need to be cut.

Harmen Rockler is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. His column appears online every Monday, and he can be reached at horockle@syr.edu.

Published on February 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm