Trade-offs in a difficult economy

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Taxpayers in Berkley, Michigan will pay $9.1 million for proposed total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending in FY2011. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided.

• 1,300 People Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR
• 7,619 Households with Renewable Electricity-Wind Power for One Year OR
• 143 Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officers for One Year OR
• 174 Firefighters for One Year OR
• 783 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
• 1,646 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5550 OR
• 2,752 Children Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR
• 1,286 Head Start Slots for Children for One Year OR
• 2,857 Households with Renewable Electricity - Solar Photovoltaic for One Year OR
• 128 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
• 1,192 Military Veterans Receiving VA Medical Care for One Year

As of this writing, the total cost of wars since 2001 to Berkley taxpayers is $57,615,780. The cost of the war in Afghanistan to us in Berkley is $17,692,512. For an estimated population of 15,000, that amounts to almost $1,200 per person.

Source: nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs
Source: costofwar.com