how much is the NSA program costing the tax payers?

[annm4peace]

I look forward to the #'s so I can show them to my MN Senator Al Franken. (aka Asshole)

[HooptieWagon]

1. Its a secret.

What they're doing is a secret. What they're spending is a secret. Even court decisions finding they've overstepped legal bounds are secret. This is so you feel safer.

[Catherina]

2. NSA's budget isn't published

The U.S. Executive Branch agencies that conduct U.S. foreign military and domestic police operations - the White House, National Security Council, Pentagon, CIA, Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security, National Security Agency and FBI - have an overall budget of well over $1 trillion, employ 3-4 million people, and spend more money on the military than the next 10 nations combined. Its enormous power has allowed it to operate unilaterally since the end of WWII, with little meaningful oversight or even the knowledge of Congress and the American people.


http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/executive-branch-threatens-us-national-security?paging=off

NSA's budget is kept wrapped in mystery.

Here's something but you should read the whole article.

The Real US National Security Budget: 1.2 Trillion
The figure no one wants you to see.
...

The US intelligence budget was technically classified prior to 2007, although at roughly $40 billion annually, it was considered one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington. Since then, as a result of recommendations by the 9/11 Commission, Congress has required that the government reveal the total amount spent on intelligence work related to the National Intelligence Program (NIP).

This work done by federal agencies like the CIA and the National Security Agency consists of keeping an eye on and trying to understand what other nations are doing and thinking, as well as a broad range of "covert operations" such as those being conducted in Pakistan. In this area, we won't have figures until FY 2012 ends. The latest NIP funding figure we do have is $53.1 billion for FY 2010. There's little question that the FY 2012 figure will be higher, but let's be safe and stick with what we know. (Keep in mind that the government spends plenty more on "intelligence." Additional funds for the Military Intelligence Program (MIP), however, are already included in the Pentagon's 2012 base budget and war-fighting supplemental, though we don't know what they are. The FY 2010 funding for MIP, again the latest figure available, was $27 billion.)

...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/real-us-national-security-budget-1-trillion

[annm4peace]

3. thanks for the article and link

Since the ATT & T spying we have seen so many articles on the spying and what it cost. and all the spying on peace groups, antiwar groups, progressive church groups, Occupy, etc.. that these basic articles get lost so thank you very much for posting.

I received Mother Jones in 2011 and read every article but forgot about this article.

I posted on my Facebook and encouraged my friends to share with their Senators and Reps. and to think about how the tax dollars going to NSA is taking for bridges, roads, education, healthcare. etc.

Since 2001 I have been in 3 groups that have been under surveillance. PeaceFresno (in Fareinheit 911), Women Against Military Madness, and Occupy MN. How many tax dollars were wasted by spying on these groups?? It probably could have been for insurance for all the kids in MN for a year.