Every day we hear about US casualties in Iraq; we hear about the young men and women killed and wounded fighting for freedom in Iraq. But we are not told the real cost of the war; we are not told of the tradeoffs, opportunity costs, and the long term consequences of diverting billions of taxpayer dollars overseas in what appears to be a war without end.

The following is my attempt to connect the dots with what is happening in Iraq with what is not happening here at home. The figures I have used come from antiwar.com—a source I have found to be both accurate and concise.

Human Cost of Occupying Iraq

Casualties in Iraq

American Military Casualties in Iraq: Total/In Comabt

American Deaths Since war began (3/19/03): 4146/3369
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4007/3261
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3685/3063
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3287/2736
Since Election (1/31/05): 2709/2473

American Wounded - Official/Estimated

Total Wounded: 30561 / Over 100000

Opportunity Cost to Local Government

So far the United States has spent more than $545 billion on the war in Iraq. But what does that figure mean in taxpayer tradeoffs? What does that figure mean opportunities lost and long term consequences. I looked for Sierra Madre but I guess we’re too small to be listed. However, our much larger neighbor, Pasadena, is listed. Pasadena has a population of approximately 145,000. The population of Sierra Madre is just under 11,000.

Taxpayers in Pasadena will pay $318.4 million for total Iraq war spending approved to date. Here’s how that money might be better spent.

• 131,049 People with Health Care for One Year OR
• 67,309 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
• 5,688 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
• 4,498 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
• 47,851 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
• 953 Affordable Housing Units OR
• 119,020 Children with Health Care for One Year OR
• 38,086 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR
• 4,573 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR

Opportunity Cost to State Government

Taxpayers in California will pay $83.1 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date. Here’s how that money might be better spent.

• 34,208,306 People with Health Care for One Year OR
• 148,087,070 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
• 1,484,827 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
• 1,174,122 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
• 12,490,710 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
• 248,783 Affordable Housing Units OR
• 31,068,375 Children with Health Care for One Year OR
• 9,941,768 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR
• 1,193,726 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
• 1,049,740 Port Container Inspectors for One year

Now what does this all mean? It means that the war in Iraq is costing us dearly at home. It means that beyond the war dead and wounded, the American taxpayer is a “casualty” of the war. It means that every dollar spend in Iraq is a dollar that could be better spent at home. It means that for local and state governments a sizeable portion of their revenues go overseas to pay for the war. In short, there is a real cost of the war in Iraq.