[Vision2020] Paying ro Iraq War is No Trivial Pursuit

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (January 19, 2007) "7" magazine at www.spokane7.com with
special thanks to the column's writer, Frank Sennett.

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Paying ro Iraq War is No Trivial Pursuit
By Frank Sennett

Quick trivia question:  What's the most expensive YouTube video ever made?

Answer:  The hanging of Saddam Hussein at a cost of $500 billion and
counting.

That's not such a trivial figure - which is why President Bush wants to keep
the price tag for Iraq out of sight.

He does it in part by funding the war through "emergency supplemental" bills
that magically disappear from the government's deficit calculations.

But that invoice will come due, and when it does the nation will have a lot
less money to spend on health care, education, and Social Security, among
other pressing needs.  Call it an even trillion bucks by the time the
nightmare ends.

Which brings us to the other way Bush makes the war as financially painless
as possible for Americans in the short term: by refusing to raise a nickel
to pay for it.

Here's another trivia question:  What's the only war revenue measure the
administration has acted on during the Iraq fiasco?

An 1898 surcharge on long-distance phone calls designed to pay for the
Spanish-American War - ditched by the Treasury Department last spring.

I support Rep. John Murtha's plan to block funds for Bush's troop
escalation.  But even though the Marine veteran's proposal wouldn't touch a
penny destined for soldiers in the field, it faces an uphill climb in
Congress.

So we need some legislative jujitsu.  If the president insists on injecting
21,500 more Americans into a conflict without a credible military solution,
we should insist that Iraq becomes a pay-as-you-go proposition from here on
out.

It's time for a war tax.

Democratic congressional leaders first must bring Iraq spending back into
the normal budgeting process.  They can then tie any funding directly to
offsetting revenue increases.

The president has asked for more than 3,000 men and women to give their
lives for his war of choice.  They paid the ultimate price.  The least we
can do - for them and for future generations - is pay more out of our
pockets today.

Third trivia question:  Which public company holds the record for biggest
quarterly profit?  Exxon Mobil, which netted $10.71 billion in the fourth
quarter of 2005.  Bonus question:  Who's No. 2 on the list?  Why, Exxon
Mobil, which recorded a mere $10.49 billion profit in the third quarter of
2006.  It's tough to see the firm slipping like that, isn't it?

With big oil companies poised to reap the remaining spoils of Iraq, a steep
windfall profits tax is a natural place to start paying for the war.
(Someone tell Buckshot Dick Cheney not to read this column; his heart might
not be able to take it.)

But if we're really going to bring the cost of this conflict home, Congress
will also need to repeal Bush's beloved tax cuts on income and capital
gains.

Depending on how long this mess continues, we might even need to add hefty
surcharges.

Final question:  How hard will this war have to hit your wallet before your
start working to end it?

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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"In America, anybody can become president.  
That's one of the risks you take . . ."

- Adlai Stevenson

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