Notes and Sources: Trade-Offs Page

Notes and Sources: Trade-Offs Page

Programs:

To obtain local cost breakdowns, we calculated each state's share of taxes paid into federal funds revenues (based on IRS data). This includes individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, excise, gift and estate taxes. Each state's share of taxes was then multiplied by the total amount of the given item. The Congressional District share is based on its population and median household income relative to the total state figure.

Ballistic Missile Defense: According to the Center for Arms Control and Nuclear Proliferation, the total proposed spending for ballistic missile defense in the fiscal year 2009 budget would be $12.2 billion. This amount includes Space Based Infra-Red System - High.

Nuclear Weapons: According to the Budget of the United States Government, FY2009, spending on Department of Energy's Atomic Energy Defense Activities would be $15.9 billion.

Military Cost of Securing Energy: In October 2008, National Priorities Project released a report, The Military Cost of Securing Energy, estimating that the United States spends between $97 and $215 billion dollars annually to defend U.S. energy concerns overseas. Higher estimates include some of the cost of the war in Iraq.

Cost of War: In 2009, as the new administration begins withdrawing troops from Iraq while at the same time deploying more than 21,000 new troops to Afghanistan, National Priorities Project is changing its Cost of War. Rather than offering only the cost of war in Iraq, we now offer the total cost of war since 2001. To date, the total cost of war that has been approved by Congress is $830.2 billion according to the Congressional Research Service, with $657.3 billion to Iraq and $172.9 billion to Afghanistan. In addition, on April 9, 2009, the new administration requested, in a final emergency supplemental, $77.1 billion for a total of $907.3 billion dollars in war spending since 2001.

Funding for the wars has been initiated by the Bush Administration in supplementals (with one exception). The Obama Administration offers the last war funding supplemental with their request in April 2009. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2010, war funding will be included in the normal budget process.

Trade-Offs:

People or Children Receiving Health Care: The state numbers are for one year of coverage and are based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Data Compendium. They represent the average Medicaid outlays per person or per child in each state for 1999 and 2000, and then are forecasted for 2005.

Homes with Renewable Electricity : The average kWh per home was calculated with data from the Energy Information Administration on total residential electricity useage (by state) and number occupied households. The cost of wind energy is approximately 8 cents per kWh according to research done by Ryan Wiser and Edward Kahn at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For our estimations, we've used 8 cents.

Public Safety Officers: Each state's number is based on the average amount of annual pay a public safety officer receives, plus 25% for other expenses associated with employment such as benefits. These numbers are for 2005 from the Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, and they cover one year of employment.

Music and Arts Teachers: Each state's number is based on the average amount of annual pay an a music/art teacher receives, plus 25% for other expenses associated with employment such as benefits. These numbers are for 2005 from the Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, and they cover one year of employment. 

Scholarships for University Students: The number for each state is based on the cost of tuition and fees for one year at that state's flagship university for the 2005-2006 academic year. Data on tuition and fees are available at the National Center for Education Statistics' College Opportunities On-Line (COOL).

Affordable Housing Units: The number for each state is based on Census 1990 and 2000 housing values. We have taken the average of the median and lower quartile values, and forecasted for 2005. This may be a fairly rough estimate of what is would cost to build affordable housing, but does constitute a good estimate of an inexpensive housing unit in each state.

Head Start Places for Children: We calculated cost per child numbers for each state based on state numbers from the Administration of Children and Families' Head Start Bureau. These numbers are from 2005.

Elementary School Teachers: Each state's number is based on the average amount of annual pay an elementary school teacher receives, plus 25% for other expenses associated with employment such as benefits. These numbers are for 2005 from the Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, and they cover one year of employment.

Port Container Inspector: Each state's number is based on the average amount of annual pay aport container inspector receives, plus 25% for other expenses associated with employment such as benefits. These numbers are for 2005 from the Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, and they cover one year of employment.

Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350:: The maximum Pell Grant award is $5350 for July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010.. We used that number for each of the states and for the United States as a whole. Information on the Federal Pell Grant Program can be found at the Office of Postsecondary Education at the US Department of Education.