American Taxpayers Have a Say in Iraqi Reconstruction

Newsweek takes some whacks at President Bush over Iraq this week. A lot of it seems highly partisan to me, like maybe they don't favor the president's reelection over there at the magazine. Ya think?

But anyway...  they do report some interesting facts, which people in the administration ought to be thinking about.

First... the cost of this Iraqi reconstruction (search) is being borne by Americans, so Americans have a right to ask where their money is going and if it could be spent more wisely.

Newsweek spends some time discussing the fact that there are lots of jobs in reconstruction that Iraqis could do, but the contracts have been given to Americans.

The problem here is — first of all — that Iraq has a 70 percent unemployment rate. If we give Iraqis jobs, fewer of them will have a reason or time to shoot RPG (search)s at our guys.

But there's more... many of these contractors who come from outside are scared to death, and they ought to be.

As President Bush said, "Iraq is a dangerous place."

But Iraqis don't ask for combat pay to do jobs we are now paying Americans to do (who, by the way, chunk on an extra 50 percent in some cases to do the job.)

Americans cost more, and then they add more to the bill because they're worried about getting shot.

Iraqis doing Iraqi jobs... Americans saving billions on reconstruction costs.

This is simple. Can’t we get this done?

That's My Word.

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