A new report by the National Priorities Project titled "More Troops, More Dollars" provides examines the costs of the war in Iraq for local communities in the United States. With its release timed to coincide with President George W. Bush's planned escalation of the war (which will cost taxpayers an additional $5.7 billion) and the antiwar demonstrations this weekend in Washington DC. The report takes the total $378 billion cost of the war--which was originally estimated to cost only $50 billion by Pentagon planners--and breaks the cost down based on city, state, and Congressional district. In addition to providing these estimates, it also highlights other costs of the war, including the long-term healthcare cost and disability benefits for wounded soldiers and interest payments on deficit spending, both of which are estimated to cost an additional $100 billion each.
The cost to the Michigan's Third United States Congressional District, which is represented by Republican Vern Ehlers who has been a solid supporter of the war, is estimated at $571,397,054 based on the total cost to the state of Michigan ($10 billion) and the population and income levels of the Third District. To put this amount in perspective, the National Priorities Project explains that if the government valued human needs over militarism, that $571.4 million could have provided either healthcare for 122,040 children for the duration of the Iraq War, 4,544 affordable housing units, or 64 elementary schools. The report further places the cost to residents of Grand Rapids proper at $197.9 million. The war has also cost the state of Michigan in terms of lives taken by the war, with 118 soldiers from Michigan being killed in Iraq and 705 soldiers from Michigan being wounded.
The local Grand Rapids antiwar group ACTIVATE is organizing around the costs of the war, having recently announced its plans to obtain a Grand Rapids City Commission resolution opposing the war based on its costs. The effort builds off an attempt last year to pass a similar resolution by a group called the Cost of War Coalition, which despite turning out several groups and individuals to support a resolution, was not pursued by the City Commission. For individuals and organizations interested in working on the measure, contact ACTIVATE.
