What could we pay for in the U.S. of A that we are wasting on this war?

[southernleftylady]

ok we got 75 years of social security.. what else?

[BOSSHOG]

1. Levees around New Orleans which would last 75+ years

- Medicaid for the elderly and tricare for military personnel on solid financial ground.
- Expanded aid for the arts and public radio and TV
- A cure for aids or cancer or Alzheimers
- The list goes on and on

If we were "conservative" we could pray for more dead "ragheads" and the expansion of death, destruction and despair in the name of democracy.

[katinmn]

2. The National Priorities Project tells you by city, state and nationally

http://nationalpriorities.org/
For example:

Taxpayers in Minnesota will pay $7.2 billion for the cost of war in Iraq. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:


939,457 People Receiving Health Care or
131,193 Elementary School Teachers or
1,025,166 Head Start Places for Children or
3,082,793 Children Receiving Health Care or
56,760 Affordable Housing Units or
677 New Elementary Schools or
1,010,633 Scholarships for University Students or
138,869 Music and Arts Teachers or
164,970 Public Safety Officers or
14,632,073 Homes with Renewable Electricity or
225,887 Port Container Inspectors

[Untermonkey]

3. Here's a crazy idea...

Give the money back to the people from whom it was taken and let them decide what to do with it.

[BOSSHOG]

6. So I guess some of us can buy

buckets of tar and asphalt and go out in the streets and fill the pot holes. Then some of us can purchase food to feed the prisoners up at the city jail. Maybe some of us will choose to send some money to the Dept of Defense to continue that maintenance project. Hopefully someone will remember to go to the electric company and give them some money to keep the lights on at the school house. Great idea.

[Untermonkey]

7. Of course I didn't mean that...

But I suspect you already knew that. I fully realize that local governments need to be funded for things like street repairs, schools, etc. However, the money the FEDERAL government is spending in Iraq could be much better spent locally by the taxpayers and local governments to support schools, street repairs, and the like.

My suggestion is simply that taxpayers be allowed to keep their money, instead of giving it to Washington to spend on Iraq, Afghanistan, and all of those Congressional pork projects.

I don't know about you but I think I'm far better qualified to decide how to spend the money I earn than is some governmental flunky in D.C.

[BOSSHOG]

8. I'd rather not consider it the federal government

rather the bush government. My efforts will be directed towards replacing incompetence with constitution appreciating liberals, then I'll let them work on the expenditure of my tax dollars; and voice my disapproval when I deem necessary. I don't know if I'm better qualified on how federal tax revenues ought to be spent. We have unlimited needs, wants and desires and limited fiduciary assets to sate our appetite. What I deem good and rightous would be rejected by millions and vice versa. But I'll trust my money with a democrat anyday (if the alternative is a republican.)

[Untermonkey]

9. Unfortunately...

The B**h government is the only federal government we have at this time. Fortunately, there is no chance we'll have any more B**h after 2008 so things can only get better.

I, for one, would much rather see my tax dollars spent to help other Americans than going to wars fought in foreign countries to line the pockets of a very small number of people and to prop up corrupt regimes and failing states.

[mondo joe]

11. The people decide what to do through their elected representatives.

Duh.

Of course in this case there's nothing to give back since we are in DEFICIT spending.

[ThomWV]

4. A Real War On Terrorism

In which real terrorist are really pursued, really caught, and really dealt with in a really appropriate manner.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. http://www.costofwar.com/

http://www.costofwar.com/

[Toots]

10. The National Debt is rising at over a hundred thousand dollars a second

Interest on that debt alone is over a half million dollars a minute. What could that money buy? A country that gives a damn that's what.