“The Pentagon is trying to argue that just because taxpayers have flushed more than $100 billion down the proverbial toilet so far, we must continue to throw billions more down that same toilet,” he wrote. “That violates the most elementary financial principles of capital budgeting, which is the method companies and governments use to decide on investments.”

But those who live near an airfield are more concerned about noise.

Last summer the Air Force released an environment impact study that said that at least 1,000 homes near the airfield would be subjected to more noise than they currently hear with the F-16 fleet. It said 292 people would be located in a zone “where housing is incompatible,” meaning that the noise could cause hearing loss.

The planes would not only be louder, but would fly more often, with more simultaneous flights. Taylor said the flight number was slated to go up to 7,100 flights a year, a 47% increase. That number would decrease to about 6,200 a year as the F-16s are retired.