Our president has just told us that we need an additional $87 Billion dollars for Iraq. I don't think I can comprehend how much that is. I tried dividing $87 Billion by the number of U.S. citizens - roughly 300 Million. I got $290 for every man woman and child in the country. But I'm not sure my answer is right, as I am not used to doing math with so many zeros.

My questions for you are would you have supported this war if you knew ahead of time that it would cost so much? Do you think we could have better spent that money at home? How much salmon recovery could we buy with $87 Billion dollars?

Do U really need to go there?

I think you know the answer or are just looking for a 6 page thread on people arguing and bashing...

Surely this can't be a serious question.
Surecatch, you don't honestly think that the money our president is asking for is going to be handed over to the Iraqis do you? Right here in our state there are companies that will benefit from this wartime budget as they work solely on defense conctacts.

I'm not professing to know even a little about where all of this money is going to be spent but I think it's pretty ignorant to blindly believe that none of the $87 Billion will be spent here in the US.

How much is 87 Billion? Probably about as much as we spent every year in our arms race wtih Russia. Of course now we can actually see what we are spending money on, not just "$500 toilet seats for the pentagon."

BTW, this relates to fishing how?

I think maybe I'll just make up a big batch of popcon and watch this from a distance.

Cast and Blast: The NFR in the title stands for Not Fishing Related.

Or looked at another way... $87 billion is only 4% of the federal budget..... the $2.2 trillion dollar budget amounts to $7,300 spent per man, woman and child and only $290 is going to clean up Iraq.

May end up being the best $290 our government has ever spent.

1. Rebuilding iraq: 87 billion

2. Cutting the french off from the oil supply: Priceless



seriously though I'm sure we'll get a sweet deal on oil once everything is in operation again.

would be good to see it back at a buck and change a gallon again....

surecatch-

Thanks for keeping this stuff in the public eye and for asking critical questions that most people seem to take for granted....

First, to the NFR bashers....why did you click? Why don't you do everyone that appreciates varying conversational topics a favor and go put your head back in the sand?

Here is my take for what its worth...

No, it's not worth the money or even more importantly, the cost in human lives both American and Iraqi. Did anyone see the images from the Mosque that was blown up during prayer services the other day?

For a party that is supposed to value 'fiscal responsibility' so highly, they sure keep asking congress for lots of money....seems we are already operating at a deficit as it is, now they want to spend more money we don't have?

The most galling part of the whole conversation, excuse my digression here, is that the party responsible for perpetrating this war on Iraq is supposedly based on Christian values...

...like turning the other cheek...

I think Dubya forgot to ask himself WWJD?

Either that or the truth is, he doesn't give a flying rat f*** what jesus would have done and he is using the power of christianity for pure politics and voter mobilization.

Nothing in my opinion is worse than some schmuck claiming to have religious values on the one hand and thumbing his nose at the same values with the other...

Wonder how much napalm we could buy for 87 billion

cowfish,

Lay off. You're stepping over the line with the name and hometown bullsh!t.

If your opinion differs, then lay it down.

All I know is that ever since the war my Ira and 401 has gone up almost 15%...


Mr. Bush shall I write my check out to you or Mr Powell...

Just hold on to it. The IRS will ask for it back, as well as your $400/child tax refund, when it's time to pay off the $87 billion.

The Feds giveth and they taketh away.........

Dan S

My boy was born in June...
I will be paying double since I didn't get the refund last year...

Piper; You must have loved Bill Clinton. Under his administration the stock market made it's all time best runup. In fact, all the recent decrease came under Bush. Truth is, presiodents have little to do with economic cycles. But they always take credit for the good and balme the bad on someone else.

I just saw on the news that more than 1/2 of the Washingtion congressional delegation are unsure if they will support the president's $87 Billion request. Interestingly two fo the undecideds are republicans.

One congressmen helped put it in perspective by saying the $87 Billion would pay for all veterans programs for a year and would cover all transportation programs for a year and a quarter. I think this debate is just starting.

Actually I thought he was a putz...

Dont forget He started the biggest decline of the stock market as well...

:p

WARNING

Before posting here go back and look at the last political thread and see the same names with the same opinions....Read the old before starting this all over again.

That's interesting, Surecatch. From what I've read today it sounded like Congress was going to approve it, but they were going to ask a lot more questions this time about where the money was going. I agree the debate has only started, and I don't think the money will be approved nearly as quickly as it was in April.

Hopefully the UN will get tired of saying, "I told you so" and start to pitch in.

On the bright side, no US soldier has been killed by hostile fire in the last 7 days. That could be mostly due to Rumfeld's order of no troop leaving the compound without a general officer's approval.