Help - what can you buy for $87 billion?

[T Roosevelt]

I'm currently working on an LTTE but have to go to class until the afternoon. Want to write a letter titled "Brother can you spare $87 billion". Need some help on the kind of programs that can be had for that amount (schools, roads, etc, and what their needs are).

[Kellanved]

1. check this page posted by maggrwaggr in an earlier Thread

http://www.costofwar.com


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=295064

[JPace]

5. Thanks for the link...

to "Cost of War", its a good sight.

I saw a post last night that said
87 billion dollars is equivalent
to $300 for every man, woman and
child in America.

[Delaney Roberts]

2. I know this is going to sound just a bit silly.

But ah if theres any left over from fixing schools, providing work programs, insuring health care for all, and reinvigorating the infostructure......could we give the rest to NASA?

[SOS]

3. There's just no money in the budget for schools

Latest Iraq request: $87 billion
All federal education spending: $52 billion
See?

[newyawker99]

13. Hi Delaney Roberts!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ParanoidPat]

14. Do you remember the stink raised by the Republicans....

.....after the Challenger disaster over the 3 billion dollar price tag to replace the shuttle? How about 29 new space shuttles?

[MrBenchley]

4. Jobs program like the WPA

$87 billion could be used on a jobs program here that could hire more than 2.1 million workers at $40,000 a year to build and revamp public schools, rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure, etc.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

6. The real question is, what CAN'T you buy for 87 billion...

and the answer is: Peace in Iraq.

[TlalocW]

7. 87 billion will buy

Approximately 174,000,000,000 Three Musketeer candy bars... Mmmm... Candy bars.

TlalocW

[RobertSeattle]

8. How about a per capita?

Current Population (at time of posting): 292,014,130

Ergo, $294 per citizen of the US. ABout $1200 for that "family of four" the GOP loves so much. Write your checks now!

http://www.census.gov/

[AWD]

9. You could

You could take 8.7 million people who struggle with poverty and buy them a 10,000 dollar car to get them to work.

[Patriot_Spear]

10. 95 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers with Aircraft...

wow...

[T Roosevelt]

11. First draft of my LTTE

Comments?

Brother can you spare $87 Billion?

Sunday evening Mr. Bush, in his speech to the nation, let us know he will be reqesting $87 billion to cover military and intelligence operations in Iraq (and Afghanistan) for the NEXT YEAR ONLY. this is in addition to the $79 billion already requested. That is $166 billion to conduct nation building (of a nation we destroyed), an issue Candidate Bush was expressly AGAINST in 2000.
He says that "his will take time and require sacrifice." Except that he is only asking middle class Americans to make this sacrifice. At the same time as he makes this request, he pushes yet MORE tax cuts for the wealthy. Sacrifice? Not from them.

Here are some examples of things that can be done here in America with $87 billion:

Double total federal education spending ($53.1 billion) and STILL have $34 billion left over
(http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/edapprops2-03.html)

Give every public school teacher a $30k raise, or
Double the total number of teacher, paying them $30k a year.
(http://edreform.com/pubs/edstats.htm)

Send over 2.2 MILLION students to public univerities for full 4 year degrees. (the US has over 15 million enrolled students http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2002-08-07-universities_x.htm)
(http://www.princetonreview.com/college/finance/articles/save/costcollege.asp)

Fund Head Start for the next 16 years
(http://www.stnonline.com/stn/headstart)

Upgrade ~90% of the national energy grid
(est cost $100 billion http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/recovery/story/0,10801,84329,00.html)

Provide over $28 thousand to every person who has become unemployed since this administration took office
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/01/national/main566203.shtml)

Provide over 4.5 million families with hybrid vehicles, reducing both dependence on foreign oil and environmental impacts

Fund a prescription drug plan for over 2 years
(http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=3960&sequence=0)

[never cry wolf]

12. Last night Bob Graham said

$87 bill was approximately what we spend currently on education and is twice the budget for highways/bridges/mass transport, etc.