Steve Books: Defense spending needs to be scrutinized

Dear Editor: Thanks for continuing to post the "Human Cost of War" statistics in the Cap Times to hopefully bring continued awareness about the war. The war in Afghanistan is going on 13 years now and this year is supposed to be the last. The entire area around Afghanistan will continue to be contentious for years, as will Iraq and insurgents continuing to wreak havoc there.

The question about the financial cost of war really gets interesting when reading about The Commonwealth Fund reporting a flow of $11 billion in federal defense contracts to Wisconsin. Yes, jobs will be created to ensure the production of ships, trucks and ammunition in Wisconsin. But it is a lost economy in the end making the products of war drains federal funds.

The rejection of Medicaid money and high-speed rail funds by Gov. Scott Walker suggests he should be given a "reverse golden fleece award" for rejecting federal funds that would surely be a positive incentive for Wisconsinites. Yet the governor accepts funds for his transportation company buddies to build some questionable roads without fixing and maintaining our current ones.

This $11 billion in defense contracts needs to be scrutinized. I'm very concerned about.

Steve Books

Mount Horeb

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Steve Books: Defense spending needs to be scrutinized