SHRINK, SHIFT AND SHAFT

by Chuck Collins

Across the land, almost every state in the union has been plunged into its worst budget crisis since World War II. As a result, localities are laying off teachers, firefighters, police officers and social workers, closing libraries and health clinics, cutting child care, mental health services, public transit and pollution control, raising public college tuition and reducing financial aid, letting schools, playgrounds, roads and bridges go unrepaired. Oregon has shortened its school year by three weeks. Tennessee is removing 200,000 residents from medical coverage, most of whom are children. The list goes on.

For the entire story about facing the right-wing fiscal agenda:

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8608

CASE (Citizens for Affordable and Safe Environment):

Our mission is to protect the environment of Los Osos by advocating for ecologically wise and fiscally responsible local and regional planning.

CASE appeals the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission decision of July 24, 2003, to approve of the Los Osos Community Services District Development Plan/Coastal Permit. Concerned Citizens of Los Osos also files an appeal. (Visit our website for copies of both appeals.) Visit our new CASE Website at www.case-environmental.org. To keep Los Osos residents appraised of issues that pose a serious threat to our environment, JOAT Ventures, a new business and marketing consultancy, is providing pro bono website services, giving our website a major facelift. Check out our new Issues section that provides a more thorough discussion of our common-sense "win-win" alternative to LOCSD’s Sewer Project. To show our diverse base of support, we are also constructing a "Supporters" section. Whether a concerned resident or local business, please show your support for our mission by sending your name or website to info@joatventures.com so that we can include you!

Please contact Al Barrow at 534.0800. PO Box 6931, Los Osos, CA 93412

CAR FREE WEBSITES

http://www.villageat.org/Tfreeplaces.htm

for traffic-free places and photos

http://www.ecoplan.org/carfreeday/cf_index.htm

world car-free day, Sept 22

http://www.stopsuvs.org

for fun photo makeovers of SUVs, Hummers and other assorted monstrosities and gas guzzlers.

http://www.aydmill.org/

Learn the history of Ayd Mill Road in St. Paul and join efforts to turn it into a linear park or neighborhood housing. Help stop Mayor Kelly from turning it into a major freeway!

http://www.transalt.org/

Transportation Alternatives, NYCity’s main bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group.

http://www.transact.org/

Surface Transportation Policy Project, the largest alternative transport lobby group in Washington DC.

http://www.critical-mass.org/

Find out about the "Critical-Mass" bike ride in your city.

http://www.carbusters.org/

A clearinghouse for information on the world car-free movement.

http://www.carfree.com/links.html

links to websites about being car-free

Protecting Civil Liberties?

America may have reached a turning point this summer in the battle to restore and protect civil liberties threatened by the Patriot Act. On July 22, 2003, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass two amendments that restore the rule of law by denying the Justice Department the ability to sneak into private homes and peek at private records without a warrant.

The House also unanimously passed an amendment to prohibit the Justice Department from forcing libraries and bookstores to turn over records of books read by their patrons.

These are important victories for the forces of liberty in the battle to keep an all-powerful Big Brother government from invading every aspect of our private lives under the excuse of fighting terrorism. However, the victory may be short-lived because the Bush Administration is applying pressure on Senate leadership to keep the provisions intact. As a result, the Senate may fail to support the amendments in its version of the bill, voiding the House action.

To protect our liberty, Americans must understand the threat posed by the Patriot Act and take action to assure that the Senate also passes the amendments. The fact is, Americans who have blindly trusted the government to protect them from the terrorist threat are not safer. American liberty is under serious threat from our own government. go to http://www.cnsnews.com/.

Eco Website Designers Celebrate First Year

Eco-Sites.com celebrates its first year developing low-cost websites for non-profits and environmental groups.

John Calvert started his website design business in 2002, with an offer to local activists in Santa Barbara they couldn’t refuse: $150 for a website. "What happened was my activism spilled over into my need for some income," says Calvert, who soon found clients among his many activist connections.

A recent success story for Eco-Sites is the website created for the Friends of the Ellwood Coast, in Goleta, who reached their fundraising goal of $6 million in June for the preservation of the Ellwood Mesa on the Gaviota Coast (fotec.org). "We learned a lot creating that site and I’m very pleased we could be a part of the preservation effort," remarks Calvert.

Eco-Sites recently launched a new look for their own website, including an updated portfolio and a new detailed services section. The business also provides redesign of existing websites and webmastering or "site maintenance."

Other Eco-Sites clients include The Channel Islands Animal Protection Association (CHIAPA), Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet, Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council, and the National HCV Prison Coalition, based in Eugene, Oregon. Calvert’s startup company has also entered the playing field of e-commerce with the completion in June of a site for Full Circle Drums, the Santa Barbara-based artisans of fine ceramic Middle-Eastern hand drums (fullcircledrums.com). "This is our first site blending artistic elements with a very colorful online store; it was a lot of fun to build," says Calvert.

Calvert’s first client, Rob Puddicombe of CHIAPA, was recently found not guilty by a federal magistrate for his heroic efforts to help the animals of Anacapa Island. CHIAPA in partnership with the Fund for Animals has put the spotlight on the lucrative deals and shoddy science of the National Park Service. "I would build a site for Rob even if he didn’t pay me," comments Calvert about Puddicombe’s work. "We are on the same page when it comes to not compromising in defense of nature. Rob’s on the front lines; we help get the information out."

Eco-Sites fully redesigned the website of the National HCV Prison Coalition, an advocacy group for patients with hepatitis C virus who are in prison. The site was completed in December, 2002, and Eco-Sites is contracted to maintain the site.

World’s first Hemp Plastic Project!

Known for its use in clothing (textiles), paper, cosmetics, fuel, medicine and even food, this amazing plant now has another use: an alternative to petrochemical plastics! One answer to the so-called war on Iraq is to supply alternatives to the petrochemical usage. Hemp has been cultivated worldwide for centuries and is shown here in its modern, legal form as an alternative to petrochemicals used in plastics.

The hemp plastic CD-Tray is a commercial first. The hemp stone didgeridoo is made from a unique material developed in Europe. Harder than stone, hemp stone is moldable and 100% biodegradable, as it contains no resins, glues or anything else apart from hemp and water!

The CD, launched in Australia, is available for world-wide distribution. This hemp plastic CD will be produced as a limited edition and is expected to sell-out fast. For a piece of history in your hands, you may order direct, retail or wholesale from www.hempmusic.com. Ten percent of the profits from this CD are to be donated to good causes with the remainder supporting the hemp (plastic) industry.

Not only is this CD about hemp, but good music. The music is stand-alone and designed to be relaxing and healing. Based around the harp, flute and didgeridoo, with angelic voices, unique acoustic guitar and true rainforest sounds, this CD is expected to be a hit in the home, in therapy centres and anywhere a relaxing atmosphere is required.

Go to http://www.globalhemp.com/  for details.

FUEL HELPS DRIVERS CLEAN UP: LOW-EMISSION BIODIESEL IS MADE FROM AG SOURCES

(SLO County) When Sam and Jim Rigler’s friends hear the diesel engine in the couple’s new Volkswagen Jetta growl to life, they can’t believe the fuel contains no petroleum products.

"It’s a vegetarian car," said Sam Rigler, a chemistry professor at Cal Poly. "Everyone we talked to about this is amazed."

The Riglers are the vanguard of a movement to bring a low-emission fuel to the Central Coast, called biodiesel. Unlike regular diesel fuel, which is made from petroleum, biodiesel is made entirely from agricultural sources such as plant and animal fats. It also produces significantly smaller amounts of most air pollutants.

The fuel can be used in any diesel car made after 1994 without modification. It does not work in gasoline engines.

For the rest of the story, go to the Tribune’s website and do a search for FUEL HELPS DRIVERS CLEAN UP (the article is by the superb enviro writer David Sneed). It will cost you $2.50 or contact our office and we will send it to you for free via email.

WORLD WATER FORUM HOLDS OUT HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, August 11, 2003 (ENS) - Some two million tons of waste are dumped into rivers, lakes and streams each day, and at least seven million people die each year from waterborne diseases, according to the first global, comprehensive United Nations evaluation of world water resources published in March. With those facts in mind, water experts and stakeholders from more than 100 countries are meeting in Stockholm for the annual World Water Week to consider these problems and devise solutions.

Go to http://www.ens-newswire.com/ for details.

Photographer Robert Bernstein’s case comes to trial

A jury will be convened to determine if it is OK to stand on a public sidewalk in a public parking garage to take photos of a public event on a public street.

This is what our country apparently has come to. Let us hope that our citizens who make up the jury are able to apply basic logic as well as common sense in their decision.

So... Mark your calendars for early October! Be there to witness either justice at work or a remake of an old Monty Python episode!

To read an excellent transcript of a most relevant Monty Python episode, please see: http://www.geocities.com/  "Death By Overwhelming Majority."

This is the one that involves finding out whether a certain individual is a witch. Famous lines include "She turned me into a newt" and "If...she weighs...the same as a duck...she’s made of wood."

Let us hope a Santa Barbara jury can do a bit better than this!

Plans for Post-War Iraq Faulted

"The small circle of senior civilians in the Defense Department that dominated planning for postwar Iraq failed to prepare for setbacks that have erupted in the last two months.

The story of the flawed postwar planning process was gathered in interviews by Knight Ridder Newspapers with more than a dozen current and former senior government officials. Although most of them requested anonymity because going public could force them out of government service, several were willing to talk on the record.

According to these officials:

• The Pentagon civilians did not develop any real postwar plans because they thought that Iraqis would welcome U.S. troops with open arms and that Washington could install a favored Iraqi exile leader as the country’s leader.

• They ignored CIA and State Department experts who disputed their plans, resisted White House pressure to back off from their favored exile leader, and when their scenario collapsed amid increasing violence and disorder, they had no backup plan.

Today, American forces face instability in Iraq, where they are losing soldiers almost daily to escalating guerrilla attacks. The cost of occupation is exploding to almost $4 billion a month, and withdrawal appears untold years away."

http://www.kansascity.com/

CIA and DoD Attempted To Plant WMDs in Iraq — and Failed

According to a stunning report posted by a retired Navy Lt. Commander and 28-year veteran of the Defense Department, the Bush administration’s assurance about finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was based on a CIA plan to "plant" WMDs inside the country. Nelda Rogers, the Pentagon whistleblower, claims the plan failed when the secret mission was mistakenly taken out by "friendly fire."

http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/

In a world exclusive, Al Martin Raw.com (www.almartinraw.com), an online subscriber-based news/analysis service, has published the news story. The Pentagon whistleblower, Nelda Rogers, is a 28-year veteran debriefer for the Defense Department. She has become so concerned for her safety that she decided to tell the story about this latest CIA-military fiasco in Iraq. According to Al Martin Raw.com, "Ms. Rogers is number two in the chain of command within this DoD special intelligence office. This is a ten-person debriefing unit within the central debriefing office for the Department of Defense."

The information that is being leaked out is information "obtained while she was in Germany heading up the debriefing of returning service personnel involved in intelligence work in Iraq for the Department of Defense and/or the Central Intelligence Agency. "According to Ms Rogers, there was a covert military operation that took place both preceding and during the hostilities in Iraq," reports Al Martin Raw.com.

Al Martin is a retired Lt. Commander (US Navy), the author of a memoir called "The Conspirators: Secrets of an Iran-Contra Insider, " and he is considered one of America’s foremost experts on corporate and government fraud. Ms. Rogers reports that this particular covert operation team was manned by ex-military personnel and that "the unit was paid through the Department of Agriculture in order to hide it, which is also very commonplace."

According to Al Martin, "the Ag Department has often been used as a paymaster on behalf of the CIA, DIA, and NSA and others." Another aspect of Ms. Rogers’ report concerns a covert operation which was to locate the assets of Saddam Hussein and his family, including cash, gold bullion, jewelry and assorted valuable antiquities.

The problem became evident when "the operation in Iraq involved 100 people, all of whom apparently are now dead, having succumbed to so-called ‘friendly fire.’ The scope of this operation included the penetration of the Central Bank of Iraq, other large commercial banks in Baghdad, the Iraqi National Museum and certain presidential palaces where monies and bullion were secreted."

"They identified about two billion US dollars, another $150 million in Euros, in physical banknotes, and about another $100 million in sundry foreign currencies ranging from Yen to British Pounds," reports Martin.

"These people died, mostly in the same place in Baghdad, supposedly from a stray cruise missile or a combination of missiles and bombs that went astray," Martin continues. "There were supposedly 76 who died there and the other 24 died through a variety of ‘friendly fire,’ ‘mistaken identity,’ and some of them — their whereabouts are simply unknown." Ms. Rogers’ story sounds like an updated 21st-century version of Treasure Island meets Ali Baba and the Bush Cabal Thieves, writes Martin.

"This was a contingent of CIA / DoD operatives, but it was really the CIA that bungled it," Ms. Rogers said. "They were relying on the CIA’s ability to organize an effort to seize these assets and to be able to extract them because the CIA claimed it had resources on the ground within the Iraqi army and the Iraqi government, who had been paid. That turned out to be completely bogus. As usual."

"CIA people were supposed to be handling it," Martin continues. "They had a special `black’ (unmarked) aircraft to fly it out. But none of that happened because the regular US army showed up, stumbled onto it and everyone involved had to scramble.

These new Iraqi "Asset Seizures" go directly to the New US Ruling Junta. The US Viceroy in Iraq Paul Bremer is reportedly drinking Saddam Hussein’s $2000-a-bottle Napoleon-era brandy, smoking his expensive Davidoff cigars and has even furnished his Baghdad office with Saddam’s Napoleon-era antique furniture.

The Iraq Debacle Du Jour has evidently been extensively documented by the DIA debriefing teams with "extensive tape recordings of interviews with the Iraqi returnees, the covert operatives (as well as their affidavits)." Al Martin Raw.com has dubbed this "Operation Skim Iraq."

MIT Launches Watch on US Government

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/070603I.shtml

The MIT Media Lab has built a fully web-enabled system promoting Government Information Awareness. The system is intended to counter-balance the US government’s grasp of information about its citizens by providing them with effective ways to gather, organize and share information about governmental activities.

It will hold data about elected and appointed officials at all levels of government, political campaign contributions and legislative action (and the implicit links between those who now so corrupt American politics), regulatory affairs, defence contracts — everything people can learn...

Saddam Hussein Seen at TGI Friday’s in Oxnard

("photo" only; scroll 3/5 down) http://www.internetweekly.org/

Interdependence Day, September 12

next day, next step, resolve a conflict, heal a relationship...

In the spirit of "change yourself, change the world," Interdependence Day, is dedicated to Resolving Conflict in our own lives.

Conflict is a part of life. We may not be able to eliminate it, but we can get better at how we "do" conflict. Take steps toward resolving conflict in your own life — Visit http://www.interdependenceday.NET— Learn more about what helps resolve conflict. Help us make Facing Conflict a nationwide topic of conversation and change

PENTAGON CAN’T ACCOUNT FOR ITS BUDGET

From the transcript between Bill Moyers of the PBS program NOW and retired Pentagon official Chuck Spinney.

The conversation is about the Pentagon’s budget, what we need to fight wars, how insane the budget is, the military/industrial/"congressional" complex/scandal, and when will it stop...

MOYERS: But the fear is legitimate today [to defend our country], given 9/11 and the war on terror?

SPINNEY: Absolutely. I don’t want to diminish the terrorist threat in people’s minds.

The problem is that if you start thinking about how you deal with these kinds of threats, you don’t need B-2s. You don’t need ballistic missile defense. You don’t need Comanche helicopters. Basically what you need are really highly trained individuals who basically understand economics, anthropology, and… as well as fighting, particularly in close quarters combat which is the most difficult form of fighting.

And basically that these guys can insert themselves and infiltrate these nodes at lower levels of distinction. Not this nation v. nation conflict.

SPINNEY: …and my point here is those kind of solutions don’t generate big budgets. And that’s the problem.

MOYERS: So we keep spending big money on those old systems even…

SPINNEY: For the wrong threat.

MOYERS: But America has just won a war against Iraq. I mean, some people would say, look, somebody must be doing something right.

SPINNEY: Well, the first thing I would say is Iraq has been under sanctions for ten years or so. They have a defense budget of 1.8 billion. Most of their equipment is vintage Soviet equipment. They’re untrained. We spend $460 billion when you count the supplemental for fighting the war to take out Iraq in a month. If you can’t do that for $460 billion what can you do?

MOYERS: Is this $400 billion Congressionally approved budget a scandal in your mind?

SPINNEY: Yes. It isn’t gonna fix our problems. It’s certainly unnecessary. And you can’t look at this budget in isolation. This budget is being put into place, and it’s gonna generate an enormous tail in the out years because we’re politically engineering all these programs and building up all this support in the Congressional districts. It’s gonna be very difficult to turn this spending off.

MOYERS: This strikes me as somewhat mad.

SPINNEY: It is. We’re in Versailles on the Potomac. It’s Ver… we basically exist for ourselves. And we live in a hall of mirrors. It’s a good metaphor.

MOYERS: Like Versailles.

SPINNEY: Like Versailles. And you have to remember, our decisions basically are to spend other people’s money, and ultimately to spill other people’s blood. We don’t pay the price for these decisions. There’s an asymmetric burden of risk.

The risk that the promoters of something like Star Wars or an F-22 or you name it, whatever kind of weapon, bears is a risk that the program might be canceled. But if you look at the other risk, the other risk, the taxpayer bears the economic risk. Not the program manager. And the soldier who may have to use this piece of equipment in a serious war. You know, his life is on the line.

Well, those risks don’t really have much of an impact on decision-makers who are more interested in the preservation of their program.

MOYERS: Chuck Spinney, thank you very much.

SPINNEY: Thank you.

The Next Step: Solutions on Public Access?

Dear Traveler of the Internet, if you are tired of being outraged, if the taste of unrequited anger is all that is left in your mouth and mind when you come to the end of a trip through the latest batch of e-mails stacked up daily in your computer, maybe it is time to wonder WHY?

Isn’t all that information about the treachery and perfidy of the Bush administration motivating and confirming? Doesn’t it give you more reason to persisit? Isn’t most of it true and helpful in seeing through the clumsy fabrications of the BIG MEDIA? Doesn’t it give you resources to use in discussing the issues with friends and cohorts?

"Yes" is probably the answer to all these questions. You do need to know all the details about the schemes, tricks, and machinations of the Bush Boys, their corporate backers and handlers, and the plots and schemes of the neo-conservative think-tanks. And you need to" keep up." That’s a Mount Whitney to climb each and every day. And unless you have something to dream about and work for, that is enough to drag anybody down.

So, take advantage of the strongest force in human destiny — hope and vision for a BETTER FUTURE.

It is not enough to know what is wrong. We crave, we desperately need a divination, a picture, a dream about a BETTER WORLD AHEAD.

Criticism is only the first step. The NEXT STEP is to craft and create POSITIVE SOLUTIONS.

The Neo-conservatives spent twenty-five years and millions of dollars using some of America’s most brilliant minds to create a vision of the future. They didn’t get their money’s worth! The Project for the New American Century produced a plan that is a throw-back to pre-civilization times — CAVE MAN CULTURE: MIGHT MAKES RIGHT. And they found a pre-historic left-over, President George W. Bush, to lead them.

We can do much better than that!

So, take the Next Step — look for and create solutions to the problems that concern you and others. Ask speakers to prescribe solutions to the problems they raise. Spend time by yourself, searching for answers. You will be well rewarded and so will others.

If you want assistance with your problem-solving, try viewing: "THE NEXT STEP" on Cox cable #17 [in Santa Barbara], Mondays at 5:00 pm & 11:30 pm, Saturdays 6:00 am. Suggestions: contact Dave Wass at 683-0705 or david.wass@cox.net

Dr Robert Muller, the most assiduous solution sleuth, will be a guest of The Next Step the week of September 8, 2003 on Cox cable #17.

Also check out channel 2 in SLO, the HopeDance show on Mondays 11:30am and Wednesday 7:30pm. Call 544-9663 for which video will be showing.

Alternative auto fuel "show"

(ethanol, biodiesel, etc) in Santa Cruz on Sat. Oct 25. for more information write to mrigler@calpoly.edu.

TRUTHOUT.ORG

For those of you who are not familiar with this website that links important mainstream press reports for the hot news of the day, here is a sample of a week, with the title of the article and the url for the detailed story.

8.29.03 Massive Explosions Kill Scores In Iraq

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003A.shtml

More US Soldiers Killed in Iraq, Afghanistan

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003B.shtml

Blair's Communications Chief Resigns Abruptly

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003D.shtml

Enron Treasurer’s Plea Bargain May Cause ‘Bloodbath’

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003F.shtml

Blix Was ‘Intimidated’ By US Over Iraq Weapons Reports

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003H.shtml

Paul Krugman | Fistfuls of Dollars

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003I.shtml

Federal Judge Saves The Whales From Sonar Testing

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/083003J.shtml

New Website to Track Bush Donations

by SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new Web site will track the wealthy donors who contribute to President Bush’s re-election campaign, part of a consumer group’s argument that big donations translate into political favoritism.

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, launched the Web site that focuses on major Bush fund-raisers who bundle $2,000 contributions from many individuals.

Go to http://www.WhiteHouseForSale.org  [Tracking the influence of private money in President Bush’s re-election campaign. So far, donors have given Bush: $49,225,000 as of August 15.]

I found the above brief on Jim Hightower’s weblog at http://hightower.fmp.com/weblog.php

30th anniversary of E.F. Schumacher’s "Small is Beautiful"

http://www.neweconomics.org/

It is the 30th anniversary of E.F. Schumacher’s "Small is Beautiful." What started out as the view of one dissenting economist has become a global movement that challenges "business as usual." But with the Kyoto agreement temporarily stalled and all unilateral attempts to combat global warming pitifully meagre, whether through changes in lifestyle or imposed penalties, has the green movement actually achieved anything in the last 30 years? What is the way forward? Though it once looked as though the "greens" would break through into mainstream politics, have they now lost their way? Has the optimism of "Small is Beautiful" become an anachronism?

Multibillionaire George Soros Commits $10M to Defeat Bush

"[M]ultibillionaire George Soros is committing $10 million to a new Democratic-leaning group aimed at defeating President Bush next year. Soros, who in the past has donated on a smaller scale to Democratic candidates and the party, pledged the money to a political action committee called America Coming Together," spokesman Michael Vachon said Friday. The group plans a $75 million effort to defeat Bush and "elect progressive officials at every level" in 2004.

‘The fate of the world depends on the United States, and President Bush is leading us in the wrong direction," Soros said in a written statement. "ACT is an effective way to mobilize civil society, to convince people to go to the polls and vote for candidates who will reassert the values of the greatest open society in the world’." http://start.earthlink.net/newsarticle?cat=9&aid=D7SPS6JO0_story

Soaring costs of "rescuing" Iraq

by Martin Sieff, UPI Senior News Analyst

WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) — The liberation of Iraq was to have been the war that paid for itself in spades, and gave U.S. corporations the inside track on the greatest energy bonanza of the 21st century. Instead, it has become a fiscal nightmare, a monetary Vietnam that already accounts for around 15 percent of the U.S. annual budget deficit, a figure likely to only grow remorselessly into the unforeseeable future.

A Heritage Foundation study by Ariel Cohen and Gerald O’Driscoll argued, "The Bush administration should provide leadership and guidance for the future Iraqi government ... [including] a massive, orderly and transparent privatization of state-owned enterprises, especially the restructuring and privatization of the oil sector."

Neo-conservative pundits with equal faith and fervor argued that Iraqi oil revenues would finance the country’s own reconstruction after the war and that they could even be used to offset some U.S. military operating costs, surely a cheap price to pay for liberating the Iraqi people from the terrible yoke of President Saddam Hussein.

But it hasn’t worked out that way.

The cost of the war itself exceed previous public projections from the office of the Secretary of Defense. At an April 16 news conference, Pentagon comptroller Dov Zakheim acknowledged that the cost of the war to that point came to $10-12 billion. But the cost of returning troops to base would be another $5-7 billion, plus another $9 billion for the 3-1/2 weeks of combat operations, bringing the total cost at that point to between $24 and 28 billion.

Since then, the continued cost of occupying Iraq and of the continued pacification and counter-guerrilla operations has been widely estimated at around $1 billion a week.

Combining these two figures — the Pentagon’s own admitted costs of the war and the generally accepted cost of occupation operations — the costofwar.com Web site has estimated the cost of the war at $76 billion [$124,000 per MINUTE!].

Costofwar.com also notes interest rates on the $1-billion-a-week occupation costs will make them $1.5 billion a week, or $78 billion per year. And even that figure may prove optimistic, as it assumes larger numbers of U.S. troops will not be required and the current levels of violence against U.S. forces will not escalate.

The federal budget deficit for the coming year has been projected by the Bush administration’s own Office for the Management of the Budget at $455 billion: the largest in history. That means the Iraq war and its consequences alone will comprise 15.5 percent of the annual federal deficit at a time when it is larger, and rising faster, than ever before. Far from being a windfall to the U.S.economy, the Iraq war has already proven itself to be a ball and chain around the economy’s neck.

Other related sites:

Indict Bush/Cheney:

http://indictbushcheney.org/index.html

Do you wish you could really do something to halt the Bush/Cheney takeover? You can! Together we can stop them. Please go to the website and read on.