Monday, October 17, 2005
Insanity defined
Visit the National Priorities or Cost of War web site. ( http://costofwar.com/index.html ) The cost of the adventure in Iraq cannot be calculated in human terms but the financial cost is incredible. Last count--$200,651,019,999. How much home care would that pay for? How many students could get a full scholarship to nursing school? This misplaced priorities leave me gasping.
Politics is always a matter of priorities, and the folks who are running the federal government right now are putting the health care of Wisconsin's residents rather low on the priority list. Let's look at some of the trade-offs we have been, we are, and we will be making:
Taxpayers in Wisconsin will pay $3.3 billion for the cost of war in Iraq -- so far. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided: health care for 406,993 people in Wisconsin alone.
The $89 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, the residents of Wisconsin could have $1.6 billion, which could provide: 981,557 Wisconsin residents with health care.
The $55 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, the residents of Wisconsin could have $971.9 million, which could provide: 119,602 Badger state citizens with health care.
The $225 billion in tax cuts this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, Wisconsin would receive $4.0 billion, which could provide: 486,185 of our neighbors with health care.
Sometimes, all you can do is shake your head and sigh.
Politics is always a matter of priorities, and the folks who are running the federal government right now are putting the health care of Wisconsin's residents rather low on the priority list. Let's look at some of the trade-offs we have been, we are, and we will be making:
Taxpayers in Wisconsin will pay $3.3 billion for the cost of war in Iraq -- so far. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided: health care for 406,993 people in Wisconsin alone.
The $89 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, the residents of Wisconsin could have $1.6 billion, which could provide: 981,557 Wisconsin residents with health care.
The $55 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, the residents of Wisconsin could have $971.9 million, which could provide: 119,602 Badger state citizens with health care.
The $225 billion in tax cuts this year could be spent on the people of Wisconsin instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, Wisconsin would receive $4.0 billion, which could provide: 486,185 of our neighbors with health care.
Sometimes, all you can do is shake your head and sigh.
