National Priorities Project has calculated the cost of the Iraq War per taxpayer and broken it down in terms of state, county, and town costs. Currently, the war has cost the average taxpayer $1075 and the average family $2844. The closest town to me has paid a shade over $100 million toward the war effort alone. The $300-odd check every taxpayer received for voting for Bush in 2000 (his solution to the budget surplus, which no longer exists) pales next to this amount. This war money is money we could be using to jump-start our economy, by the logic of supply side economics. Or towards ending extreme poverty, or any other large number of better causes. I hate to see my money go towards killing innocent civilians and American soldiers. Unfortunately, if we pulled out now, we would save money and American lives but the situation would deteriorate further. It would be as if a contractor charged you for renovating, and then left your house torn up and all the furniture outside.

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