A Congressman on What the money wasted on War in Iraq could buy the American People
danmac
Posts: 387
Comparing the cost of war and domestic expenses
By Congressman John Murtha
We are spending $8 billion a month in Iraq. That equates to $2 billion a week, or $267 million a day, or $11 million an hour.
The following are some comparisons between what we are spending in Iraq as we "stay the course" indefinitely and what those funds could be used for instead.
I've been fighting for our military to get out of Iraq because I'm concerned about the loss of our troops and the future of our military, and also because I believe they have accomplished their mission there and the Iraqis must resolve their internal conflict themselves. However, I also wanted to demonstrate what these expenses mean to domestic policy in the United States and give you an idea of just some of the things that we could accomplish with this amount of money.
NATIONAL SECURITY
$31.7 billion/yr Department of Homeland Security FY 07 budget
(4 months in Iraq)
$10 billion (1-time) Equipping commercial airliners with defenses against shoulder-fired
(5 weeks in Iraq) missiles
$8.6 billion/7 years Shortage of international aid needed to rebuild Afghanistan
(one month in Iraq)
$5.2 billion (1-time) Estimated need for capital improvements to secure public transportation
(3 weeks in Iraq) system (trains, subways, buses)
$1.5 billion/year Radiation detectors needed at all US ports (rejected due to cost)
(5 days in Iraq)
$1.4 billion/ year Double the COPS (community police grants) program
(5 days in Iraq)
$800 million/year Public transportation personnel training and technical support
(72 hours in Iraq)
$700 million/year 100% screening of all air cargo - rejected because of
(2 days in Iraq) cost (1/4 of domestic shipping and 1/2 of international shipping is done on passenger planes)
$350 million (1-time) Make emergency radio systems interoperable (5 years after 9/11, this
(1.2 days in Iraq) hasn't happened yet)
$500 million/year Double the firefighters’ grant program
(2 days in Iraq)
$94 million/year Restore cuts to cities hit on 9/11 in Homeland Security budget
(8-1/2 hours in Iraq)
HEALTH CARE/VETERANS
$36 billion/5 years reduction for Medicare spending in president's fiscal year 2007 (FY 07)
(4-1/2 months in Iraq) budget
$5 billion/5 years Cut in Medicaid in President's FY 2007 budget
(2-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
$2.5 billion/5 years VA health care premium increases in this year's budget. Premiums will
(9 days in Iraq) double or triple and drug co-payments will increase, costing our military
retirees $2.4 billion over 5 years
$100 million Additional funding recommended for mental health research for veterans
(9 hours in Iraq)
$48 million Medical and prosthetic research for veterans
(half a day in Iraq)
$65 million/yr National Institutes of Health research funding cuts in this year's budget
(6 hours in Iraq) (scientists are leaving the field of health research because funding has been cut so severely)
$15 billion/yr Provide health insurance to 9 million children with no health insurance
(1-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
$118 million/yr The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides
(12 hours in Iraq) nutritional food packages for less than $20 a month to more than 400,000 elderly people - eliminated in the president's budget
EDUCATION
$3.4 billion/yr Cut in education budget in president's FY 07 budget from FY 06 funding
(13 days in Iraq) level (over 40 programs including drug-free schools, federal support for the arts, technology and parent-resource centers.
$664 million/yr Perkins Loan program cut in president's FY 07 budget (would help
(2-1/2 days in Iraq) 463,000 low-income students attend college)
$99 million/yr Even Start (eliminated in president's budget)
(9 hours in Iraq)
ENVIRONMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Nationally
$300 million President's cut to Environmental Protection Agency budget in FY 2007
(1 day, 3 hours in Iraq)
$253 billion/30 years Clean up contaminated sites in U.S. (Up to 350,000 contaminated sites
(2 years in Iraq) will require cleanup over the next 30 years according to a report released by the EPA.)
$9.11 billion National Park Service maintenance backlog
(1 month, 10 days in Iraq)
$6 billion Forest Service backlog
(3 weeks in Iraq)
$2 billion Fish and Wildlife Service backlog
(2 weeks in Iraq)
$47.2 billion/yr Miscellaneous user fees throughout government imposed on taxpayers by
(6 months in Iraq) president’s budget
$1.7 billion/yr Grants to states cut in 2007 budget
(1 week in Iraq)
Pennsylvania
$15 billion Fixing Pennsylvania's acid mine drainage sites
(2 months in Iraq)
$8 billion Pennsylvania's wastewater infrastructure needs
(1 month in Iraq)
$642 million Rehabilitation cost for Pennsylvania's most critical dams
(2 days in Iraq)
$2.3 billion Pennsylvania's maintenance backlog for roads
(8 days in Iraq)
$8 billion Pennsylvania's maintenance backlog for bridges
(1 month in Iraq)
$5.26 billion Pennsylvania's drinking water infrastructure needs
(2-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
Southwestern Pennsylvania
$10 billion Repair southwestern Pennsylvania's existing sewer systems to reduce
(5 weeks in Iraq) overflows and back-ups, bring clean water and effective wastewater treatment to areas that lack
them, and install water and sewer infrastructure at targeted development sites
By Congressman John Murtha
We are spending $8 billion a month in Iraq. That equates to $2 billion a week, or $267 million a day, or $11 million an hour.
The following are some comparisons between what we are spending in Iraq as we "stay the course" indefinitely and what those funds could be used for instead.
I've been fighting for our military to get out of Iraq because I'm concerned about the loss of our troops and the future of our military, and also because I believe they have accomplished their mission there and the Iraqis must resolve their internal conflict themselves. However, I also wanted to demonstrate what these expenses mean to domestic policy in the United States and give you an idea of just some of the things that we could accomplish with this amount of money.
NATIONAL SECURITY
$31.7 billion/yr Department of Homeland Security FY 07 budget
(4 months in Iraq)
$10 billion (1-time) Equipping commercial airliners with defenses against shoulder-fired
(5 weeks in Iraq) missiles
$8.6 billion/7 years Shortage of international aid needed to rebuild Afghanistan
(one month in Iraq)
$5.2 billion (1-time) Estimated need for capital improvements to secure public transportation
(3 weeks in Iraq) system (trains, subways, buses)
$1.5 billion/year Radiation detectors needed at all US ports (rejected due to cost)
(5 days in Iraq)
$1.4 billion/ year Double the COPS (community police grants) program
(5 days in Iraq)
$800 million/year Public transportation personnel training and technical support
(72 hours in Iraq)
$700 million/year 100% screening of all air cargo - rejected because of
(2 days in Iraq) cost (1/4 of domestic shipping and 1/2 of international shipping is done on passenger planes)
$350 million (1-time) Make emergency radio systems interoperable (5 years after 9/11, this
(1.2 days in Iraq) hasn't happened yet)
$500 million/year Double the firefighters’ grant program
(2 days in Iraq)
$94 million/year Restore cuts to cities hit on 9/11 in Homeland Security budget
(8-1/2 hours in Iraq)
HEALTH CARE/VETERANS
$36 billion/5 years reduction for Medicare spending in president's fiscal year 2007 (FY 07)
(4-1/2 months in Iraq) budget
$5 billion/5 years Cut in Medicaid in President's FY 2007 budget
(2-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
$2.5 billion/5 years VA health care premium increases in this year's budget. Premiums will
(9 days in Iraq) double or triple and drug co-payments will increase, costing our military
retirees $2.4 billion over 5 years
$100 million Additional funding recommended for mental health research for veterans
(9 hours in Iraq)
$48 million Medical and prosthetic research for veterans
(half a day in Iraq)
$65 million/yr National Institutes of Health research funding cuts in this year's budget
(6 hours in Iraq) (scientists are leaving the field of health research because funding has been cut so severely)
$15 billion/yr Provide health insurance to 9 million children with no health insurance
(1-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
$118 million/yr The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides
(12 hours in Iraq) nutritional food packages for less than $20 a month to more than 400,000 elderly people - eliminated in the president's budget
EDUCATION
$3.4 billion/yr Cut in education budget in president's FY 07 budget from FY 06 funding
(13 days in Iraq) level (over 40 programs including drug-free schools, federal support for the arts, technology and parent-resource centers.
$664 million/yr Perkins Loan program cut in president's FY 07 budget (would help
(2-1/2 days in Iraq) 463,000 low-income students attend college)
$99 million/yr Even Start (eliminated in president's budget)
(9 hours in Iraq)
ENVIRONMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE
Nationally
$300 million President's cut to Environmental Protection Agency budget in FY 2007
(1 day, 3 hours in Iraq)
$253 billion/30 years Clean up contaminated sites in U.S. (Up to 350,000 contaminated sites
(2 years in Iraq) will require cleanup over the next 30 years according to a report released by the EPA.)
$9.11 billion National Park Service maintenance backlog
(1 month, 10 days in Iraq)
$6 billion Forest Service backlog
(3 weeks in Iraq)
$2 billion Fish and Wildlife Service backlog
(2 weeks in Iraq)
$47.2 billion/yr Miscellaneous user fees throughout government imposed on taxpayers by
(6 months in Iraq) president’s budget
$1.7 billion/yr Grants to states cut in 2007 budget
(1 week in Iraq)
Pennsylvania
$15 billion Fixing Pennsylvania's acid mine drainage sites
(2 months in Iraq)
$8 billion Pennsylvania's wastewater infrastructure needs
(1 month in Iraq)
$642 million Rehabilitation cost for Pennsylvania's most critical dams
(2 days in Iraq)
$2.3 billion Pennsylvania's maintenance backlog for roads
(8 days in Iraq)
$8 billion Pennsylvania's maintenance backlog for bridges
(1 month in Iraq)
$5.26 billion Pennsylvania's drinking water infrastructure needs
(2-1/2 weeks in Iraq)
Southwestern Pennsylvania
$10 billion Repair southwestern Pennsylvania's existing sewer systems to reduce
(5 weeks in Iraq) overflows and back-ups, bring clean water and effective wastewater treatment to areas that lack
them, and install water and sewer infrastructure at targeted development sites
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects
are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider
god-fearing and pious: Aristotle
Viva Zapatista!
are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider
god-fearing and pious: Aristotle
Viva Zapatista!
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
Interesting figures I must say.
those cut and run dems are at it again...what's murtha know...it's about "freedom"...and "freedom" ain't free....
who cares about our very own nation...people should quit complaining and pull themselves up by their bootstraps....don't they know the tar-or-ists hate us and our "way of life"....
it's obvious the Middle East is stable now...I bet Kerry or Gore would have just tuck tail and run....thus leaving all this money wasted here on bloated gov't programs like the one's Murtha mentioned...
:cool:
But I'm inclined to think, that even if we hadn't gone into Iraq AT ALL, none of the things in that list would've happened anyway.
That's just not the government's priority.
very true. but it does show what a waste of money iraq is. if we're gonna be spending that kinda cash, it ought to go to projects like those. otherwise, leave it with the taxpayers.
www.myspace.com/jensvad
I believe this would have been the best option.
What you call "all those things" are precisely the steps that are needed to keep "evil people" from blowing us up. Spending the money on something else, makes it easier for them to "blow us up"
What do you mean by them? are you saying "all those things are useless if all those things get blown up? Or did you mean, "all those things are useless" if the terrorrists get blown up?
Cuz the people who want us to get blown up, sorry to say, are not in Iraq.
Well, they weren't until we got there...
Except that many of the items toward the top of the list would stop us from "getting blown up" much more effectively than the efforts in Iraq.
Right on, veddie...fear rules the day...
I say we cancel all activites throughout the US and wait for the next attack...It's not a question of "if", it's a question of "when".....
I'm off to the beach...I want to enjoy it before it gets blown up...
"The only thing we have to fear, is ....... absolutely fucking EVERYTHING!!! BROWN PEOPLE IN IRAQ!!! BROWN PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN!!!!! BROWN PEOPLE IN VENEZUELA!!!!! FRENCH WINE!!!!! THE SPANISH!!!! HELP ME MR. PRESIDENT!! PLEASE PLEASE SAVE ME!!!! I THINK I JUST SHIT MY PANTS IN TERROR!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
We sure have come a long way, baby.
excluding money spent on homeland security. My bad. Picky picky picky.
www.myspace.com/jensvad
????
www.myspace.com/jensvad
Not picky, picky or picky.
What I infered (and correct me if I am wrong) is that you suggested Iraq is protecting things from being blown up.
The point I am making is that the Homeland Securty stuff goes a lot further toward the protection of those things than Iraq at a fraction of the cost. Not picky.
Oh hell no. The administration was dragged kicking and screaming to homeland security and would not touch the majority of the otehr shit. But it does show what an unbelievable amount of money is being spent on "national security."
Agreed.
i think the truly scary part of the monetary equation is this: there is/was NO "extra" money! we are digging ourselves further and further into debt. the money wasn't simply lying around, waiting for a cause to be spent on. hmmm, when clinton left office i believe there was a budget surplus, although that shouldn't be a 'goal' either, better to just be balanced.....and now.....ridiculous deficit, and ever-growing! yikes!
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow