Cost to your pocket,
and cost to our soldiers
The
$132.26 Cookie
Nashua, New Hampshire Citizens have paid $156 million dollars thus far to support the War in Iraq.
To bring that cost home: taxpayers have spent $5511 per family on the war in Iraq, and continue to spend at the rate of
$132.26 PER MONTH per family (*).
Of course, financial costs are unimportant, compared to the cost to members of our military and
their families. Over 4000 US Servicemen and Women have died. Twenty-one of them were from New
Hampshire.
Meanwhile, veterans who survived are paying with their health, jobs, education, and homes:
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Health: NPR reported in
March, "As thousands of veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating injuries, the Army has actually
awarded fewer soldiers full disability retirement benefits than they did before the war
started."
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Jobs: The Wall St.
Journal reports that the unemployment rate for veterans has more than doubled.
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Education: After WWII, we fully funded college education for returning veterans.
Today, education benefits cover less than 1/3 the cost of even inexpensive colleges. Despite 9
Republican co-sponsors (and numerous Democrats), a Senate Bill to improve veterans education
benefits has stalled as the White House has threatened a veto.
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Homelessness: Although there have been improvements over the last 2 years, there remain 150,000 veterans who
are homeless, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (This figure
counts all veterans, not just those who have served in recent conflicts.)
Every month Nashua families pay $132.26 for current military operations. How much do we pay for
Veterans Benefits? About
$15.60 per month.
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, NashuaPeace.org will hold a bake sale to
support Veterans. A few large cookies will be "sold" at a cost of $132.26 each. This figure is the one-month cost of war
per Nashua family - but rather than going to the Pentagon, the money will be given to veterans. Money will NOT be collected
on the spot; rather, you may have a cookie in exchange for your promise to donate $132.26 to one of several organizations
that benefit New Hampshire veterans. Anonymous NashuaPeace.org donors have promised to match the first three cookie
receipts.
For more information, speak to the people wearing green NashuaPeace.org Tshirts at the parade,
at "Deschenes Oval", corner of Main and Canal.
What can you do? If coughing up $132.26 for a cookie seems a bit much, you can:
Call Senator John
Sununu and ask for an end to this senseless war. Call 577 8960 (Nashua) or (202) 224 2841 (Washington) Join NashuaPeace.org in front of City Hall
every Saturday morning, at 11:00 AM Donate whatever amount you want to the veterans charity of your choice.
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