The War is at Home, Already
January 12, 2008
It was the day after Christmas, and President Bush signed a budget bill, handed to him by Democratic Party-led Congress, that only the Grinch could love—a budget bill that provides another 70 billion for war. Democratic Presidential candidates have learned to talk tough on the horrors of the Iraq occupation that has claimed 1,165, 204 human lives—yet ignore the collaboration that their own party has in the ongoing carnage. So jumping up on your high-horse and criticizing the Republicans for scuttle-butting an expansion of health-care for children means very little when your party has just signed off on war-spending that could have achieved the unthinkable—insuring not just the children, but their parents as well!
Have you ever wondered exactly what the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost your community? Thanks to the National Priorities Project (www.nationalprioritiesproject.org) you don’t have to spend hours pouring through the federal budget to figure it out. For those of us who were products of the post Proposition 13 California Public Schools, the help with the arithmetic of tragedy is appreciated.
Based on what each city has paid for the war up until now, lets take a look at what this war is taking from my home, the San Francisco Bay Area:
San Francisco
- 632,683 People with Health Care OR
- 2,744,841 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
- 28,661 Public Safety Officers OR
- 22,972 Music and Arts Teachers OR
- 236,568 Scholarships for University Students OR
- 117 New Elementary Schools OR
- 4,611 Affordable Housing Units OR
- 574,609 Children with Health Care OR
- 182,819 Head Start Places for Children OR
- 23,240 Elementary School Teachers OR
- 20,592 Port Container Inspectors
Oakland
236,029 People with Health Care OR
1,023,994 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR
10,692 Public Safety Officers OR
8,570 Music and Arts Teachers OR
88,254 Scholarships for University Students OR
44 New Elementary Schools OR
1,720 Affordable Housing Units OR
214,364 Children with Health Care OR
68,203 Head Start Places for Children OR
8,670 Elementary School Teachers OR
7,682 Port Container Inspectors
