Altmire has been back in the 4th over vacation and had a look at the damage caused by all the recent rain here. Many of his constituents want grants instead of the low interest loans being offered. I hope Altmire makes the connection between the money being spent waging war in Iraq and the money that’s not available to help people living in the 4th.
The sooner the better.
Pennsylvania’s Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, said yesterday he expects that Army Gen. David Petraeus, who is to report to Congress next month on the situation in Iraq, will recommend a timeline for reducing the presence of U.S. troops.“I am very optimistic that Gen. Petraeus is going to probably recommend something along those lines,” Mr. Altmire said at Pittsburgh International Airport, where he returned from a three-day trip to Iraq and a meeting with the U.S. military’s commander there.
“I’m not going to speak for him, ... but after being involved in the meeting, I think he understands and will make the statement that the commitment with the surge and our troop availability over the oncoming months is probably unsustainable over the long term.”
federal loans
Aren’t the loans kicking in b/c the damage from the recent flooding didn’t exceed the federal baseline? If there was more damage grants would be available?
I know. Irony. Hope for more damanage so you can tap into grants instead of loans. But I“m not sure it’s related to the Iraq War. Perhaps more closely to bridges and federal aid to help with infrastructure that prevents flooding, but not to those loan/grant questions. Please correct me if I“m wrong.
There's only so much money to go around
LVDem, what’s been reported is that SBA has been in offering low interest loans to business owners whose businesses were damaged by the rains/sewer backups/flooding, etc. Many of these business owners, especially ones still in the business districts of the old mill towns, don’t have the financial wherewithal to take on a loan, even at a low rate. That’s why they’ve been clamoring for grants.
As for the war, DoD is now getting over 500B a year and that does not include the cost of the war, which is being funded under emergency supplementals. The federal budget is only about 2 or 3 trillion a year so probably close to 30% is directly related to the costs of war, leaving the rest to fund debt service and entitlements. It doesn’t leave much for discretionary things like grants and infrastructure funding and all the other things people need.
pd
Federal Budget Priorities
Courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee afsc.org:
The estimated cost of the first four years of the Iraq War is $1 trillion.
For what we have spent for just ONE DAY of the Iraq War, we could have funded:
Or, for a graphical representation of where your money goes see http://www.truemajority.org/csba/priorities.php
Complete the Thought...
Let’s say LV (and myself, frankly) are wrong; local residents with flood damage aren’t getting grants because of Iraq (which is absurd, but I’ll play along). Please propose a course of action. Do we begin a retreat tomorrow? If President Bush orders a complete American withdrawal by next months, does that mean people will automatically begin receiving compensatory checks in the mail by October? I find it curious that, according the the left, every ill that befalls society stems from Iraq (i.e., Katrina and other natural disasters, the debt, fuel shortages, Sanjaya’s run on “Idol”, et. al.). The “Iraq” tag is a politically convenient method of killing two birds with one stone. It allows the left to simultaneously attack the effort in Iraq while painting it’s defenders as the patrons of needless war and misplaced priorities (while, at the same time, avoiding putting forth any real strategies or proposals themselves). If your argument is that Iraq is the cause of our domestic problems, then have the bal-er, “fortitude” to support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. I’m sick and tired of the left shouting from the hilltops but finding it too politically difficult to travel to the hollows in order to make their case. In other words, don’t bit!h if you don’t have a resolution for your own complaint.
Don't hide behind LVDem
It’s an indisputable fact at least 1 trillion dollars has been spent on an war that was prosecuted based on a series of lies. That money could have been used for other purposes, like repairing and replacing infrastructure and helping Americans recover from acts of nature like the recent flooding in western PA and other parts of the country. You need to face the truth about the war in Iraq – it is a complete and utter disaster. It has done incredible damage to America and part of that is diverting money away from things that would improve our country. There is no point in our staying there any longer, we are an occupying force and one that is now viewed as such. I believe we also have a moral obligation to help Iraq reach peace among its warring factions and to help rebuild the country, but a continuing military presence is not going achieve that end.
pd
Hiding?
You do one thing well, pd: you really know how to recite a press release. It find it interesting that you couldn’t bring yourself to type the word “withdrawal” (and, interestingly, you didn’t specificly dispute my proposition that the local grant/loan issue has absolutely nothing to do with Iraq). Your effort to draw a connection is nothing but a cheap political stunt. On the other hand, cheap political stunts got your crew elected last year, so why not roll with it, eh? Your “hiding” comment was rather childish (although I can’t say that I’m surprised). LV and I apparently happened to agree on this one; I can’t help it if he/she (no offense LV – just not sure of your gender) wandered off the lefty reservation. Don’t worry though – I’m sure you’ll get your security blanket back (hey, two can play the childish game).
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