Posted by Frank James at 2:35 pm CST
How much has the Iraq War cost your state in tax dollars? More importantly, how much has it caused your state in the lives of military service member?
The National Priority Project, an organization that strives to educate Americans about the trade-offs involved in national policy, has issued a report aimed at answering those questions.
According to the NPP's analysis, Illinoisans have contributed $20.5 billion of the $378 billion that American taxpayers have paid for the Iraq War. Chicago's contribution to the war effort has been $4 billion.
Of the 3,024 servicemembers killed in Iraq, 114 were from Illinois. Eight hundred and fifty of the almost 23,000 wounded were from Illinois.
The analysis also seeks to place the Iraq spending into concrete terms for congressional districts. For instance, it says that 87 elementary schools could have been built in Rep. Rahm Emanuel's district based on the war spending the NPP allocates to the district.
Here’s the press release.
NEW RELEASE: MORE TROOPS, MORE DOLLARS
Northampton, MA -- The National Priorities Project released today a new publication, More Troops, More Dollars, which breaks down the cost of the Iraq War by state and congressional district. It also shows what the money spent in Iraq could buy each district in affordable housing units, health care for children and new elementary schools.
The publication offers state level data on the number of killed and wounded in Iraq and the cost of the war for two major cities in each state.
"Over 100,000 people search out the cost of war on our website every month," noted Greg Speeter, executive director of the National Priorities Project. "With a $380 billion price tag, and a request for more on its way, the American people increasingly want to know the impact here at home."
To find your state publication, go to: www.nationalpriorities.org/moretroops.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
And who get Benefits cut you and me
Posted by: Dale P Peters | January 24, 2007 2:45 PM
Whatever happened to the idea that the war would be paid for by Iraqi oil revenues?
Posted by: Tony | January 24, 2007 2:53 PM
My Friend and Brother for 35 years.
http://video.johnkerry.com/video/flash/012407_kerry.html
Posted by: Dale P Peters | January 24, 2007 3:00 PM
Frank James again abandons his role as journalist to become the recycler for some leftist organization's press release. And he can't even get the name of the organization correct. The "National Priorities Project" (spelled as "National Priority Project" in James's article) is an obscure extremist "advocacy organization" (their own words) affiliated with the better known ACORN.
Posted by: Bruce | January 24, 2007 4:36 PM
Bruce-
If the facts are correct, what does it matter who originally compiled them?
If you can dispute the facts, go ahead. Or are the facts just an inconvenient reminder of what we sacrifice for this disater of a war?
Posted by: Tony | January 24, 2007 4:46 PM
Bruce I see the truth you don't want posted.
Posted by: Dale P Peters | January 24, 2007 4:48 PM
Tony,
Last summer, a little reported piece in the NYT reported that Iraq oil was actually paying for the insurgency, due to corruption and infiltration.
Not completely dissimilar to the VC pre '64 arming themselves almost entirely with US weapons acquired from the corrupt and infiltrated Saigonese political/military organ.
Posted by: C.Morris | January 24, 2007 4:55 PM
C oh that's what happen LOL
Posted by: Dale P Peters | January 24, 2007 5:39 PM
Dale,
You still numba one!
Posted by: C.Morris | January 24, 2007 7:33 PM
Time to take a look at the entitlements of Military-Industrial Complex, dontcha think? The Repubs who worry about corruption and waste in government should be leading the charge. You don't see them? Neither do I.
Posted by: Figbash | January 25, 2007 9:22 AM
The intellectual level of NPP's "analysis" is best shown by the graph on page 1 of the linked pdf, where "Du Page County" is listed as an Illinois CITY. People who makes mistakes so basic, along with their illiterate online supporters, shouldn't be taken seriously.
Posted by: Bruce | January 25, 2007 10:06 AM
"The intellectual level of NPP's "analysis" is best shown by the graph on page 1 of the linked pdf, where "Du Page County" is listed as an Illinois CITY. People who makes mistakes so basic, along with their illiterate online supporters, shouldn't be taken seriously"
That's not a graph. A graph is "A pictorial device, such as a pie chart or bar graph, used to illustrate quantitative relationships"
Since you've made such a basic mistake, I will cease to take you seriously.
Posted by: Tony | January 25, 2007 10:48 AM
Right Bruce. It's so much better and easier to completely fabricate numbers as the Bush administration did for the cost estimates of this war or the prescription drug program costs, for example. Nobody worries about niggling little errors like calling a county a city when all the numbers on the document are imaginary. Do you have any witty comments for us on the "intellectual level" of the people who did the cost analysis before the war?
Posted by: Tom O | January 25, 2007 11:24 AM
Ever notice how, when the obvious blunders of these "studies" are exposed, the leftists never try to defend the studies? They invariably launch further attacks on unrelated topics. It's like the student who claims that his dog ate his homework, and when confronted with the fact that he doesn't have a dog, makes up another lie.
And Tony, wrong again, though (unlike many of your posting buddies) at least you're literate. Try looking at other definitions of "graph", for example, this one: "A visual display of information or data organized to help people interpret, understand, or quickly find information.
jmsscienceweb.tripod.com/vocabulary.htm".
Posted by: Bruce | January 26, 2007 9:04 AM
Bruce, other than your oh so important labeling error, can you find fault with any of the actual information on the site?
You're using the most trivial of excuses to avoid reality. You're in deep denial Bruce.
Posted by: Tony | January 26, 2007 11:01 AM
I an writting as a Vietnam Veteran, as a Vetran that has learned the hard way That The VA(Veterans Affairs) is turning into the dirtiest
joke ever played on those that because they served thier country, now need help. They look down thier
collective nose at Vietnam Vets, and are preparing to
do worse to soldiers now in
uniform.. They all ought to apply to Haliburton or Black water...to serve in any way that they can avoid beconing a "Veteran" in need of the benifits that were earned, but behind the soldiers back ...are constantly being
place farther from his reach...and almost impossable to get.
Carl L Moore
Posted by: Carl L Moore | September 4, 2007 1:49 PM