calculate the cost of war to your community..

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

for example-my town
Taxpayers in Waxahachie, Texas will pay $48 million for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
10,458 People with Health Care OR
36,592 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
1,151 Public Safety Officers OR
855 Music and Arts Teachers OR
6,892 Scholarships for University Students OR
5 New Elementary Schools OR
573 Affordable Housing Units OR
19,670 Children with Health Care OR
6,776 Head Start Places for Children OR
908 Elementary School Teachers OR
814 Port Container Inspectors

[glowing]

1. Yes.. WAR is a monumental waste.. and when we can finally get this

idea of Patriot, War, God, Flag.. out of people's mind-set, then maybe we can stop funding the killing machine, until then, its geared to pay into the system.. and the system continues to kill.

[w8liftinglady]

2. I actually used this site for my holiday LTTE this year

In December 2005,I wrote a holiday letter endorsing the end of the insanity in Iraq and the support of our wounded veterans at home,and hoped it would be my last on the subject.In December 2006,I wrote a letter endorsing the end of the insanity in Iraq and the support of our wounded veterans at home,and hoped it would be my last on the subject.Here we are at Christmastime in 2007,and the insanity in Iraq continues,and our wounded veterans flounder in our own country.Most people in America have shrugged their shoulders and allowed themselves to be ruled like so many sheep.

The Iraq War has cost Americans $477,227,171,324.00.In Ellis County alone,we have paid $276 million dollars in extra taxes to support the Iraq War.Here is what we COULD have done with the money:
-hired 6,618 public safety officers
-provided 60,000 people with health care
-provided 39,500 scholarships for college students
-hired 4,900 music and arts teachers
-fit 210,000 homes with renewable energy sources

And our veterans-
Since the beginning of the Iraq War,approximately 38,000 servicemembers have been transported to medical facilities for treatment of their injuries.Yet,many,many more have invisible injuries due to traumatic brain injury and PTSD.I am a member of Veterans for America.We have held hearings that indicate that our "Thankful Nation" has refused payment to 22,500 servicemembers who gave all in multiple deployments to Iraq,only to have their PTSD diagnosed as "pre-existing personality disorders"
Our "Thankful Nation" has no problem deploying National Guard and Reservists on multiple tours to a war zone,but make no provisions for their sacrifice as their families become bankrupt at home.
Our "Thankful Nation" has allowed 400,000 veterans to become homeless,through OUR neglect to provide care for them when they came home.
Our "Thankful Nation" has ignored the deaths of 3,892 servicemembers,chosing to focus on Hannah Montana tickets and Brittney's flings.

Presidential,Congressional and Senate primaries will arrive before we know it.Are you going to vote for the same breed of people who have created this disgrace?We,as Americans,need to examine our consciences this holiday season,and let our well-informed consciences dictate our votes.
Happy Holidays.

[lligrd]

3. Be Great If People Would Start Posting

the amount owed by their city throughout the city.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Nearly a billion for Seattle.

Taxpayers in Seattle, Washington will pay $989.1 million for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

148,814 People with Health Care OR
881,111 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
18,994 Public Safety Officers OR
17,183 Music and Arts Teachers OR
176,309 Scholarships for University Students OR
104 New Elementary Schools OR
5,465 Affordable Housing Units OR
378,347 Children with Health Care OR
109,706 Head Start Places for Children OR
17,131 Elementary School Teachers OR
13,425 Port Container Inspectors

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. $300 million for my city

Great link - thanks!!

[Earth_First]

6. Rochester, NY (Monroe County): $1,780,785,821

[Subdivisions]

7. Hi, w8liftinglady. They don't have the trade off

info for us over here in Johnson County or for Cleburne, but I imagine it's similar to your Ellis County/Waxahachie figures. Either way, a single dollar taken from anywhere to pay for an illegal war is a dollar too many.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. This Is Fantastic, Thank You

Numbers become much more "real" this way.

[w8liftinglady]

9. I challenge you all to submit a letter to your paper with these facts

post here if you do

[tbyg52]

10. A billion for Fort Bend County (DeLay Land), Texas

Taxpayers in Fort Bend, Texas will pay $1 billion for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
220,662 People with Health Care OR
772,047 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
24,290 Public Safety Officers OR
18,047 Music and Arts Teachers OR
145,409 Scholarships for University Students OR
103 New Elementary Schools OR
12,086 Affordable Housing Units OR
415,026 Children with Health Care OR
142,964 Head Start Places for Children OR
19,164 Elementary School Teachers OR
17,168 Port Container Inspectors

[greenbriar]

11. my area

Could your tax dollars be better spent?

Taxpayers in xxxxx, Kansas will pay $453.1 million for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
145,865 People with Health Care OR
466,455 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
11,140 Public Safety Officers OR
10,038 Music and Arts Teachers OR
93,927 Scholarships for University Students OR
53 New Elementary Schools OR
5,444 Affordable Housing Units OR
263,003 Children with Health Care OR
70,752 Head Start Places for Children OR
10,086 Elementary School Teachers OR
7,880 Port Container Inspectors

[recoveringrepublican]

12. wow, 1.4 billion for my county

it's a small, but jammed packed county. With all the talk about high taxes here in Florida, this is eye opening. The homeless situation is out of control (this is the county where St. Pete is, the city where the tents and belonging of the homeless were cut up by police and firefighters Jan 2007). Housing is crazy $$.

Taxpayers in Pinellas County, Florida will pay $1.4 billion for the cost of the Iraq War through 2007. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
443,024 People with Health Care OR
970,012 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
32,830 Public Safety Officers OR
23,847 Music and Arts Teachers OR
445,790 Scholarships for University Students OR
216 New Elementary Schools OR
10,172 Affordable Housing Units OR
693,968 Children with Health Care OR
186,735 Head Start Places for Children OR
25,507 Elementary School Teachers OR
17,012 Port Container Inspectors