What's at Stake? National Priorities Project's 50 state-level briefs on impact of war spending
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U.S. Labor Against the War
Jo Comerford
01/13/2011
As part of the re-launch of our website, CostofWar.com, we are issuing What's at Stake?, 50 state-level briefs focused on the impact of war spending.
In state after state, tough decisions are being made about critical programs that touch people's lives. It's imperative that we examine the locally-based opportunity costs of federal spending decisions. NPP's numbers will help people assess the magnitude of war spending and draw their own important conclusions.
Highlights of What's at Stake? include a gap analysis focused on Head Start, health insurance, renewable energy and higher education with findings such as:
* New York has 128,128 Head Start-eligible children, yet only 48,013 Head Start places. For New York's share of this year's Afghan War spending, the state could fund Head Start places for all eligible children for 21 years.
* Wisconsin has 527,000 uninsured residents. For Wisconsin's cumulative Afghan War spending, the state could provide insurance for all uninsured for 3 years.
* Washington consumes 1,168,531 Billion British thermal units (BBtu) of non-renewable energy and only 881,676 BBtu renewable energy. For Washington's share of cumulative Afghan and Iraq war spending, it could pay 23% of the cost to convert all non-renewable energy to all solar energy or 79% to convert to all wind energy.
* At the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the North Carolina share of total war spending ($34 billion) would fund all in-state expenses of a four-year education for each incoming freshman class for the next 135 years.
The new CostofWar.com also features updated cost of war numbers and re-vamped cost of war counters which can now be embedded or "tweeted" using the localized cost of war figure, rather than the aggregated number.
The current cost of war figures reflect the allocation of $172.4 billion in December 2010 as part of the Continuing Resolution in effect through March 4, 2011. When Congress completes its FY 2011 budget process NPP will adjust the counters with new figures.
To date, $815 billion dollars has been allocated for the war in Iraq since 2003 and $445.1 billion dollars has been allocated for the war in Afghanistan since 2001. With this latest update, total cost of war funding is $1.26 trillion.
We welcome your thoughts, comments, and questions. Please feel free to be in touch with me at (413) 584-9556 or jo@nationalpriorities.org or visit us on Facebook to share your thoughts.
With best wishes for a joyous and peaceful New Year,
Jo Comerford
Executive Director
