Reuters: House clears $70 billion mostly for Iraq war

[Eugene]

House clears $70 billion mostly for Iraq war

Reuters
Tuesday, September 26, 2006; 11:00 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday
gave final approval to a massive funding bill for the Pentagon that
provides another $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Senate was expected to pass the final version of the $447.6 billion
bill by this weekend, sending it to President George W. Bush for his
signature.

-snip-

With this bill, Congress will have approved more than $500 billion for
the wars, with the bulk of that spent in Iraq. Lawmakers called the $70
billion a "bridge fund" to last about halfway through the next fiscal year,
which starts on October 1.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601902.html

[Webster Green]

1. Where's all that money coming from again?

Oh yeah, its coming from tax cuts.......wait, that doesn't make sense.

Wish I knew more about how this stuff works. Its hard work, I guess. :crazy:

[Robbien]

3. The better question is where is all the money going to go

since half the money previously allocated to Iraq has disappeared.

Gone, poof. No records, no nothing.

[pfitz59]

7. Same old gang of crooks.....

Probably theses guys....
http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/010205X.shtml
AEGIS
BEARING POINT
BECHTEL etc etc blah blah blah

http://tangledwing.wordpress.com/2006/08/13/mercenary-jackpot-us-pays-blackwater-320-million-in-secretive-global-security-program/
“We need to know why the Bush Administration keeps writing blank checks to Blackwater and others, while it keeps Congress and the American people in the dark.”

http://borgenproject.blogspot.com/2005_08_28_borgenproject_archive.html
"David H. Brooks, CEO of the company he named after his initials, DHB Industries, made more than $70 million in 2004, 3,349 percent more than he made in 2001. Brooks also billed the company for $87,500 in compensation for what he called "foregone vacation."

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/


http://www.pscai.org/
"The Private Security Company Association of Iraq “PSCAI” is a non-profit organization formed and maintained to discuss and address matters of mutual interest and concern to the industry conducting operations in Iraq. The PSCAI seeks to work closely with the Iraqi Government and foster a relationship of trust and understanding."

Need say more?

[Tellurian]

20. Gucci style prisons for American dissidents..

well, part of the money anyway..
another portion destined for Bush and Cheney's
overnight money accounts..

[Drum]

2. Just another GOP midnight-check-writing-party,

nothing to see here folks...:sarcasm:



those BASTARDS! :mad:

[OneBlueSky]

4. wonder how much of that is earmarked for Cheney, er , Halliburton . . n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. They missed that original 2 billion dollar bogey by a little

didn't they? Something like 25000%. Those are texas-ken lay size percentages!

[Erika]

6. And we'll hear how they can't afford VA benefits,etc

to our seriously wounded and returning troops.

Of course, our infrastructure will be hurt also as they take our taxes and use it for W's war.

[area51]

11. "And we'll hear how they can't afford VA benefits"

Exactly. And how the nazis keep claiming that we can't afford universal healthcare, but we can afford this insane boondoggle. :mad:

[cornermouse]

8. Half a trillion to date plus half a trillion for next year alone

equals an incredibly massive One Trillion Dollars (all of it loaned to us) spent in a third world country without any real sign of success, victory, or ending.

Bush puts real meaning in the word wastrel.

[OhioChick]

9. Where is all this $$$$ coming from?

~snip~ Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Cleveland, was the only Ohio congressman who voted "no."

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1159353044275890.xml&coll=2

[saigon68]

12. It's coming from China and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia alone has almost 3 trillion dollars worth of our meaningless paper

[The Stranger]

10. Lisping, slurping, sloshing Karl Cassel added to his report on this

the non-sequiter: "Generally, the Democrats supported the bill without complaint."

As if their recent attempts to stop the fucking war and bring troops home is somehow not sincere. But that is to be expected from NPR (Neocon Public Relations).

[samsingh]

13. mindboggling and crazy - $500 billion that could have been

used here wasted overseas.

[Megahurtz]

18. Yep, $500 Billion that could have been used HERE.

:banghead:

[Speaker]

14. The stats....

This Mideast Money Laundering Operation is currently the
second most expensive war in the nation's history, with more
money still to flow.

From LSU:

*snip*

<h3>III. Financial Cost</h3>
<PRE>
Conflict                            Cost in $ Billions  Per
Capita 
                                    Current      1990s  (in
$1990)  
The Revolution (1775-1783)             .10         1.2  $  
342.86
War of 1812 (1812-1815)                .09         0.7      
92.11
Mexican War (1846-1848)                .07         1.1      
52.13
Civil War (1861-1865): Union          3.20        27.3   
1,041.98
                     : Confederate    2.00        17.1   
2,111.11
                     : Combined       5.20        44.4   
1,294.46
Spanish American War (1898)            .40         6.3      
84.45
World War I (1917-1918)              26.00       196.5   
1,911.47
World War II (1941-1945)            288.00     2,091.3  
15,655.17
Korea (1950-1953)                    54.00       263.9   
1,739.62
Vietnam (1964-1972)                 111.00       346.7   
1,692.04
Gulf War (1990-1991)                 61.00        61.1     
235.00
</pre>
<P> The table compares the cost of America's principal
wars since 1775 on the 
  basis of then current and 1990s dollars. Current dollars are
the actual numbers 
  spent at the time. Thus, a 1775-1783 dollar had the
equivalent purchasing power 
  of $10.75 in 1990s terms. Actually this conversion is only a
very rough guide, 
  but at least gives some idea of the relative costs of the
ten wars on an adjusted 
  basis. However, it is not possible to take into account
drastic changes in social 
  structure (most Americans were farmers in 1775, and didn't
use much money), 
  and the increasing affluence of American society over the
two centuries covered 
  by the table. 

<P>

*snip*

http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/other/stats/warcost.htm

[High Plains]

15. We need to stop funding these wars.

[sugapablo]

16. 70 billion dollars...how about....

Just imagine...$1 billion per state. That's $50 billion. That leaves $20 billion to the feds.

Imagine what the states could do with an extra $1 billion each.

This isn't just a one time thing, either. Look how many times we're sending BILLIONS into the Iraq hole.

Just imagine what this country could do with the kind of financial investments we're putting into Iraq if we put that into healthcare, schools, shelters, police forces, infrastructures, energy, etc.

[bemildred]

17. Flush!

Gurgle, gurgle, swish, fwooooooosh.
:hurts:

[City Lights]

19. The borrow and spend Republicans are at it again.

This "bridge fund" is supposed to last halfway through next year - we'll see 'bout that...

[smirkymonkey]

21. I didn't think it possible for me to be any more DISGUSTED

than I am already. I don't even comment on these things anymore because I am so angry and at such a loss for words.

[leQ]

22. isn't there a site that provides how many teachers (and other such noble

things) could be had for the price of what this war is costing us? i can't seem to remember where it is, so looking through my bookmarks has been a futile effort.