Bombs vs. Benefits
Ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. It’s a cliche, but also a fundamental part of economic theory: There’s always an opportunity cost. And when it comes to federal spending, I like to check in with the National Priorities Project’s trade-off calculator a few times a year just to see what we’re losing.
For example, the White House is pushing to increase the National Nuclear Security Administration’s budget by 13.4 percent (or $11 billion) in 2011, here’s how the 2010 nuke budget could have otherwise been applied locally.
According to NPP, San Diego County taxpapers will pay out $184.3 million for nukes this year. That money could’ve instead:
Provided 75,853 adults or 68,890 children with health care for a year.
Funded 27,697 Scholarships for college students for a year.
Paid the annual salary of 2,647 elementary-school teachers or 3,292 police officers.
Now, if we look at the 2010 budget for ballistic missiles, San Diego County citizens’ share is $107.6 million, which could’ve been spent on:
Provided 44,277 adults or 40,213 children with health care for a year
Funded 16,167 scholarships for college students for a year.
Paid the annual salary of 1,545 elementary-school teachers or 1,922 police officers.
Don’t care about the county? Well, on the city level: taxpayers within the city limits will cover $77.9 million for nukes and $45.4 million for ballistic missiles. Together that could have:
Provided 50,750 adults or 46,091 children with health care for a year.
Funded 18,531 scholarships for college students for a year.
Paid the annual salary of 1,771 elementary-school teachers or 2,203 police officers.
The caveat, of course, is that NPP is basing this off population formulas and not tailoring it to specific regional complexities (such as San Diego’s military industry). Nevertheless, it’s something worth considering.
Completely unrelated, there is such thing as a free breakfast. We just received a press release from the International House of Pancakes that announces free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 23 to raise awareness (and donations) for Rady Children’s Hospital.
IHOP, like most politicians, are liars. Those pancakes aren’t free. I’m offended by the blantant strong-arm tactics of Rady Children’s Hospital and support a blanket boycott of them AND IHOP!
And before I get a bunch of Sandy Eggo’s Finest Retards on here giving me shit, I’m only joking.
I was gonna say…who doesn’t like pancakes?
LOL! I loves me some hotcakes!
On the sweet breakfast note, you know that Filter, on 30th, has an Eggo breakfast special?
dave, don’t you think this is sort of a false comparison? How many pounds of carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere for every nuke plant Obama builds? How will these reactors affect the cost of electricty (essential to survival) etc.
I won’t argue about the Bombs side of this post, but just saying, it isn’t like those initiatives are with out benefit.
Levin: This has nothing to do with nuclear energy, but nuclear arms.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203884.html
Mea Culpa… You are right and I was wrong… I didn’t click through the link in the original post (my bad) and made an assumption (also my bad) that it was connected to what he said about Nuke energy in the State of the union. I stand corrected.
That’s because I didn’t go in and add the link until I saw you were confused.