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Beat the Press: How Much Does the Iraq War Cost? (8/29/07) by Dean Baker
Continuing his battle to get economics journalists to report in terms that communicate something useful to readers, Baker addresses the Washington Post's statement that Bush is seeking "up to $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq" atop "$147 billion in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq."It would be helpful if these numbers were put in a context that would make them meaningful to readers. This spending accounts for approximately 6.7 percent of the federal budget. Alternatively, the wars cost every person in the country approximately $670 a year in taxes. Or, to use another measure, the cost of the war is 20 times the additional funding proposed in a Senate bill to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
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