The local cost of the War in Iraq.

Sorry that I have not had time to write on the blog recently. I have been very busy at the Capitol. When I have a moment, I will write more details about what has been happening.

In the meantime, here is some notable information. There has been a lot of discussion about the monetary cost of the War in Iraq. The cost is so staggering - with at least one estimate of $3,000,000,000,000 - that the numbers are hard to conceive. However, thanks to the National Priorities Project, we can see some local estimate of the money cost of the War.

For example, here is what the War in Iraq is expected to cost New Britain in the 2009 budget year:

Taxpayers in New Britain, Connecticut will pay $54.4 million for projected Iraq War Spending for FY 2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

17,985 People with Health Care OR

67,211 Homes with Renewable Electricity OR

1,074 Public Safety Officers OR

729 Music and Arts Teachers OR

6,510 Scholarships for University Students OR

2 New Elementary Schools OR

261 Affordable Housing Units OR

20,900 Children with Health Care OR

7,556 Head Start Places for Children OR

751 Elementary School Teachers OR

662 Port Container Inspectors

Or, this same amount of money could be used to cut property taxes in half.