How much are YOU paying to fund this war?

[raj2001]

Last I heard, President Bush was going to ask Congress to authorize $74.7 Billion dollars (that's $74,700,000,000) of your tax money to pay for this war.


http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/25/sprj.irq.bush.day/index.html

[Dgenx321]

This does not include rebuilding Iraq.

Yea it does.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Dgenx321


Yea it does.

Edited.

[BobMurdoch]

Our economy took more of a hit with the post 9/11 fallout and the tanking stock market. Long term, this may amount to a down payment on a safer world where the world economy can resume its' upward mobility.

Although that is a pie in the sky wish it is just as likely as these doomsday scenarios people had spouted off regarding the Muslim world rising up against us (which they were doing anyway with or without war. The governments in power in that region have been more than willing to deflect anger at their suffering from their respective leaders policies to us and Israel.)

If you have a problem with the cost, I agree with McCain that we should scale back the tax cuts.

Raj, as someone who lives in NYC, I would think that you would be concerned with trying to reduce the enemy's ability to attack us as New York City is target #1 on their list. How many more craters do we need before we take the fight to them?

[James_F]

Where is the proof that Iraq had anything to do with what happened in NY?

If this was about 9/11 we'd be in Saudi Arabia. :rolleyes:

[Cyclone]

Iraq is not like North Korea where they need a lot of foreign investment to rebuild. Iraq's Oil will allow them to rebuild quickly and pay for it themselves. They are in a much better position than many other countries would be.

[Mike123abc]

Well it works out to $250 per person in the US... Better get your checkbook out! Of course if you save 50 cents a gallon on gas for a year you probably paid for most of it... (even if you do not think you use that much gas think of all the gas used to deliever everything you buy in the store).

[Richard King]

Well it works out to $250 per person in the US... Better get your checkbook out! Sounds cheap to me if successful.

[James_F]

Except that we have lots of other pressing needs like education, social security and veterans benefits that need that money more than bombing Iraq. As a vet, I am very worried that I might not have any health-care when I may need it. Have you ever been to a VA hospital? It takes years to be seen. Why do we always throw out veterans to the side when we are done with them?

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=7474070&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=33198&rfi=6

[Neil Derryberry]

the cost is worth it to me.

On the subject of veteran's benefits, I'm not aware of any move afoot to reduce those. If you are, let's talk about it. If you are not and you are assuming that this will happen, I don't know that I would base so much ire on an assumption.

You are correct about wait times at the VA... That's why my father has his own external health insurance... the VA isn't worth his time at his age.

On social security... I'd like to opt out myself. I'll take the money I spend on ss taxes and do a much better job with it than what the government does.

[James_F]

Assumption? Bush tried to push the cuts, but Congress seems to be smart enought to block them. BUT, existing funding is still way too small.... Between that and Social Security, how can we keep cutting taxes and hope to pay for these kinds of wars?

[RichW]

Also, remember that government miltary spending means jobs for some people. The states with defense contractors will benefit from the War. High tech companies may benefit from the rebuilding effort. And, of course, our energy companies will walk away with contracts previously given to the French.

[Nick]

We are a privately funded country and need your help keeping our nation free. As our thanks, when you donate to America you automatically become a "preferred" citizen.

Read more about that HERE (www.firstgov.gov)

Contributions to support America's war effort can be made by cash, check, credit card, or by earmarking a portion of your tax refund to go toward the cost of operating this war.

If you want to contribute but don't have any money, your government has arranged for federally insured lending institutions to make you a loan at special low-interest rates

http://images.paypal.com/images/x-click-butcc-donate.gif

[Mike123abc]

The key to paying for the war will be to get Iraqi oil production way up. We get the price of oil to go down to $15-20/barrel we will pay for the war very quickly in savings for every single thing we do.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by BobMurdoch
Raj, as someone who lives in NYC, I would think that you would be concerned with trying to reduce the enemy's ability to attack us as New York City is target #1 on their list. How many more craters do we need before we take the fight to them?

Yes, as someone who not only lives in NYC, but spent a good few weeks helping out with the disaster recovery efforts, I can safely say that I feel no less safe if Saddam is there or not.

Let me put it another way. There is no evidence whatsoever to even remotely suggest that Saddam or Iraq had anything to do with the planning and execution of the September 11 attacks.

Osama Bin Laden, the hijackers and the key people in Al-Qaeda are primarily Saudi nationals. When we were in Afghanistan, Osama was said to be hiding in Pakistan (who, incidentally, has admitted to having nuclear weapons). I don't see any connection to Iraq or Saddam whatsoever.

[Nick]

...we now return you to the discussion about funding the war effort.

[James_F]

Well its all tied in Nick. The pot is only so big so if we are to fund this we have to pull it from somewhere...

[Neil Derryberry]

Education discussion has been split from this thread and moved to potpourri...

[Jacob S]

$250 a person figures out to be ~$20 a month over a year's time, or ~$10 a month over a period of two years, and the savings in gasoline will make up for this anyways, not counting the better economy we will have.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Jacob S
$250 a person figures out to be ~$20 a month over a year's time, or ~$10 a month over a period of two years, and the savings in gasoline will make up for this anyways, not counting the better economy we will have.

I'm hoping there will be a silver lining in all of this. As much as I hate this war, I hope the economy gets better.

[Cheyenne]

The price would be much higher otherwise.
We just have to do what needs done sometimes.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Cheyenne
The price would be much higher otherwise.
We just have to do what needs done sometimes.

How would the price have been higher otherwise?