Follow the Money Project in Iraq
Snipped from FollowTheMoneyProject.org.
As an American taxpayer, I am disgusted with the nonchalant attitude of George W. in his never ending request for more money for the Iraq War. Not too long ago Bush got $147 Billion with his “supplemental” money that the Democrats rolled over on. And, every time Bush asks for money, he plays the “support the troops” card and makes it sound like if he doesn’t get the money, the troops will suffer. How many times is he going to use this tactic? I guess as many times as the Democrats fall for it. But the truth is that the additional $50 Billion he is asking for will not help the troops. What has been proven is that it goes elsewhere. You will be surprised at where all the money goes.
With the additional $50 Billion, we will go from an unbelievable $2 Billion per week to $3 Billion per week in Iraq war spending. But what is extremely disconcerting is that the troops are still not getting what they need while the military contractors are sucking the money dry and reaping the benefits of the spoils of war. From the results of her research on her book, Betraying Our Troops: The Destructive Results of Privatizing War, Dina Rasor was able to follow the money and what she found was disturbing. In her investigation, she uncovered billions of dollars that were stolen and wasted on the part of contractors. Iraq is rife with stories of billions of unaccounted for cash, unsubstantiated costs, and empty convoys to nowhere. There were even instances of contractors charging labor costs of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of the work actually being done.
Congress has the ability to stop this madness through the appropriations process in which they can put restrictions on the money and force the Department of Defense to examine the contractor costs. However, Bush and the military will push back. Here is how the article describes what is going on.
The military will counter that they need unlimited funds to have “the best for our boys.” Their track record on this war will show that they have not done the best for the soldiers but, instead, have been influenced, threatened and bullied to do the best for contractors. Corruption, cronyism, and waste only hurt the soldiers and these contractors have taken advantage of this war in a way that has never been seen before. Their role, which is larger in this war than any before, was supposed to help the soldier and cost the taxpayer less.
At $3 billion a week with troops still complaining that they can’t get what they need, this sick experiment by the military must finally be brought under control. Let the Congress know, whatever your politics are on the war, that they have to do something drastic before giving over another $200 billion over to this underreported scandal.
If you would like to read the full article click the image below.
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New Scientist
The Onion
Media Matters
Newsvine
Associated Press
“Bottom-Up” may be the next rally call Bush will use to arm-wrestle new, additional money from Congress to keep our troops in Iraq. The new “Bottom-Up Tactic” works by turning local tribal ciiefs in small towns/areas far from Baghdad to our side for mopping-up operations/taking out the local evil guys at the bottom of the Iraq pecking order. Top (at Baghdad) down for us failed in many ways many times. The “Bottom-Up” concept was not our military’s idea but just happened and we seized upon what occurred. It has worked in one place so far. Such success cannot be denied. The “Bottom-Up Tactic” moniker is one hell of a good bargaining chip. It may work as good as the “surge” moniker worked upon Congress and the Nation. And so Bush’s war beat goes on and on.
Ah so, Ah soooo, as the “surge” concept opened Congress’ purse, so too next time will the “Bottom-Up” idea open Congress’ purse for more war expenditure big bucks.
The huge bucks wasted during this war and how our tax money is wasted with much of it unaccounted for has been written about by Unum in the above article.
I think, however, to Bush and to his greedy, carpetbagger friends, it’s petty cash. Because It takes big money to make bigger money. What bigger money is that? It is the Iraq OIL money. Our taxpayers’ money wasted and the American and Iraq lives wasted are just part of the cost of doing business. Ask Bush. Ask Cheney. –Hey guys, Bottoms-up!
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Congress is talking about a war surtax. 2% up to 15% for low- to high-wage-owners on your tax bills.
Why not call it a war SIRtax? Those military guys volunteered for the job. They’re getting the perks of foreign travel. Let’s tax our soldiers, sailors, marines, air force personnel and employees on the Department of Defense’s payroll. By Gawk! why not? Iraq is their playground. Gawk! Gawk!
Of course we can pay for the Iraq war if Uncle Sam was to sell the movie rights.
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I’d much rather my tax money go to the soldiers overseas than to a child’s healthcare when their parents make over $86,000 annually. But I guess that’s just me.
Oh Yeah, vet? Yes, it would be better in the long run to indirectly kill little guys when they’re kids than to kill big guys when they’re soldiers on the battlefield. There’s a big savings on itty-bitty coffins than on those big jobs. Get ‘em while they’re young. Is that how you make it?
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Hello vet, I don’t know where Bush got the figure $86,000 as a salary cap for parents to get their kid covered? Nobody, as I understand, knows. I’d like to hear what Bush has to say if a reporter asked him to explain it. By Gawk, figures do lie and liars do figure! Sorry to hit you with such a harsh jib earlier.
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Follow the money? Good luck finding it. The Department of State examined a contract with DynCorp for $1.2 billion for the Iraq police and guess what — the money is gone without a trace. Do Swiss secret bank accounts accept that large of a deposit? What size mattress could you hide 1.2 billion under? And … And … And I guess you already heard about Bush wanting $46 Billion More from Congress for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If I moved to Iraq or Afghanistan, how much would I get in welfare payments? The same as everyone else? Or, better yet, how many little American children would get health care if a decimal point was moved over a little? You notice that Bush delayed his request for Very Big Bucks until after he vetoed the kid’s medical help bill and our short attention span was allowed to dilute the issue. By Gawk! Now that’s relevant!
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