Staggering Iraq War Numbers

Citizen Action of Wisconsin today released on WisPolitics.com state and local costs of the Iraq War. Below is the press release:

Citizen Action of Wisconsin: Releases state and local cost of war numbers on 5th anniversary of Iraq invasion
3/19/2008
Contact: Robert Kraig
(414) 322-5324

Brings Attention to Lost Opportunities to Invest in Wisconsin

Milwaukee: As the Iraq war enters its 5th year today, there is an overwhelming public consensus that the Bush Administration’s invasion has failed to achieve any of its major objectives. On top of the international relations disaster and the deaths of nearly 4,000 American troops and nearly 100,000 Iraqis the misguided invasion has wrought, there is growing public attention to the consequences of the war for vital domestic priorities such as health care and education.

To mark the 5th anniversary of the war, Citizen Action is releasing today estimates of what Wisconsin, and individual Wisconsin cities could have done in 2008 alone with their share of Iraq war spending. The data was obtained from National Priorities Project. Citizen Action is also holding events in Green Bay and Eau Claire later today to bring attention to the local cost of the Iraq war.

In 2008 alone, Wisconsin residents will pay an astounding $1.3 billion for additional proposed Iraq war spending. For the same outlay, 861,342 people could have received health care coverage; 89 new elementary schools could have been built, 198,642 college scholarships could have been given, and 29,904 public safety officers could have been hired.

As the following chart shows, these lost opportunities to invest in Wisconsin are significant at the local level.

2008 Iraq War Spending by Wisconsin Municipality

Milwaukee Area $203.7 Million
Madison Area $119.4 Million
Green Bay Area $59.9 Million
Racine Area $51.6 Million
Appleton Area $45.4 Million
Janesville/Beloit Area $39.4 Million
Wausau Area $32.3 Million
Eau Claire Area $20.8 Million
Manitowoc Area $20.4 Million
Oshkosh $13.5 Million
Sheboygan $11.6 Million
La Crosse $9.2 Million
Superior Area $8.7 Million

The local share of war spending could have been used to make major investments in the economic vitality and quality of life in Wisconsin’s major cities. For example, for Milwaukee’s share, 4,506 public safety officers could have been hired. In Oshkosh, 2,002 college scholarships could have been given, and in Appleton 3 new elementary schools could have been built.

“Five years of war in Iraq are five years too many,” said Linda Honold, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “With an economic recession making it harder than ever for Wisconsin families to make ends meet, the human and economic costs of the war in Iraq are unaffordable and unconscionable. Congress must reverse the administration’s upside-down priorities, end the war and invest in America’s future.”

-Bryan