2003–12–30

$87 billion…

Michael Moore on the funding of the rebuilding of Iraq:

To get some perspective, here are some real-life
comparisons about what $87 billion means:

$87 Billion is more than the combined total of all
State budget deficits in the United States. The Bush
administration proposed absolutely zero funds to help
states deal with these deficits, despite the fact that
their tax cuts drove down state revenues. [Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities].

$87 Billion is enough to pay the 3.3 million people
who have lost jobs under George W. Bush $26,363.00
each! The unemployment benefits extension passed by
Congress at the beginning of this year provides zero
benefits to workers who exhausted their regular, state
unemployment benefits and cannot find work [Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities].

$87 Billion is more than double the total amount the
government spends on Homeland Security. The U.S.
spends about $36 billion on homeland security. Yet,
Sen. Warren Rudman (R-NH) wrote America will fall
approximately $98 .4 billion short of meeting critical
emergency responder needs for homeland security
without a funding increase. [Source: Council on
Foreign Relations].

$87 Billion is 87 times the amount the Federal Government spends on After School Programs. George W. Bush proposed a budget that reduces the $1 billion for after-school programs to $600 million cutting off about 475,000 children from the program. [Source: The Republican-dominated House Appropriation Committee].

$87 Billion is more that 10 times what the Government spends on all environmental Protection. The Bush administration requested just $7.6 Billion for the entire Environmental Protection Agency. This included a 32 percent cut to water quality grants, a 6 percent reduction in enforcement staff and a 50 percent cut to land acquisition and conservation. [Source: Natural Resources Defense Council].

Of course we need to assist in the rebuilding of Iraq… the U.S. lead the way to it’s destruction. Not just with the most recent “war” but with the sanctions and the first Gulf “War”. In fact, our screw ups with Iraq go back even further. The problem is with how the administration is going about the rebuilding… and the problem is about how tax dollars are spent generally. It’s failed foreign policy and failed domestic policy; U.S. empire building and corporate welfare. It’s not just Iraq or Saddam. It’s not just Bush and the current administration. We need to learn from the past 60 years.

Over the years the U.S. has evolved into a rogue nation… no longer controlled by it’s own citizenry… even the illusion of a “democratic” America is breaking down. Where are we going?