Cleburne taxpayers will spend big on Afghan war

NPP Pressroom

Cleburne News
Wayne Ruple
08/27/2010

According to the National Priorities Project (www.nationalpriorities.org) the taxpayers of Cleburne County will pay big for the proposed Afghanistan war spending in fiscal year 2011 - $3.1 million to be exact.According to their research, that same $3.1 million could be spent locally in more beneficial ways such as:*Providing 448 military veterans VA medical care for one year or,*Paying salaries for 56 elementary school teachers or, *Providing low-income healthcare for one year for 645 residents or,*Providing renewable energy to 1,371 households or*Paying salaries for one year for 67 police or sheriff patrol officers or,*Paying salaries for 70 firefighters for a year or*Providing 448 college scholarships for a year or *Paying for Pell Grants of $5,550 to 565 students.As of press time Wednesday, the war in Afghanistan has cost American taxpayers a total $327,127,545,932 or several thousands dollars per second!The National Priorities Project analyzes and clarifies federal data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars are spent.An NPP report issued on TaxDay 2010 titled "Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?" showed that of every dollar 26.5 cents goes to military spending, 20.1 to healthcare, 8.26 to non-military interest on the national debt, 5.4 to military interest on the national debt, 9.8 on operation of the government, 8.5 to income security and labor, 7.2 to housing and community, 3.7 to food, 3.5 to veterans benefits, 2.5 to the environment, energy and science, 2 cents to education and 1.3 to international affairs and 1.3 to transportation.