The Local Costs of the Iraq War

According to the National Priorities Project, the Iraq War has cost the State of Tennessee over $8 billion ($1 billion = $1000 million). President Bush's new funding request for 08-09 will cost the Volunteer State over $2 billion, which according to NPP would buy Tennessee 21,714 afforable housing units, 41,906 elementary school teachers, or health care coverage for 435,808 adults.

NPP has a page for calculating costs to towns and cities:

Taxpayers in Nashville, Tennessee will pay $838.9 million for total Iraq war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

• 175,099 People with Health Care for One Year OR
• 621,137 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
• 23,303 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
• 15,699 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
• 149,218 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
• 65 New Elementary Schools OR
• 8,724 Affordable Housing Units OR
• 293,209 Children with Health Care for One Year OR
• 116,531 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR
• 16,837 Elementary School Teachers for One Year