President Bush is requesting more money for Iraq and Afghanistan. Billions of tax dollars have been wasted on the wars and reconstruction of Iraq. I believe much of the reconstruction money has been mismanaged, stolen and squandered. The total mismanaged money is around $8.8 billion, including Iraq money.

I believe money allotted for New Orleans was also squandered, mismanaged and stolen. Missing weapons and missing money are unacceptable. A small percentage of money has been retrieved but most is irretrievable. Hiring Iraq construction companies would save money and help the Iraq economy.

First, the reason for war was weapons of mass destruction, then terrorists, then democracy, then stability, then security. The war is about oil. Oil consumption will decrease as we use more alternative fuels. I believe the president doesn’t believe in climate change because he’s in the oil business, making money. Programs that help America are vetoed, while Bush requests more and more for his war.

Preisdent Eisenhower said “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Supporting our troops is our obligation, but throwing good money after bad is a waste of tax dollars.

There are 14 American military bases in Iraq which may be permanent. This war is like the Big Dig in Boston, wrong completion date, overbudget, sloppy management and shabby work waiting to fall on someone’s head.

Deanne Danforth, Turner