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The United States is now engaged in its third day of “Operation Odyssey Dawn,” the launching of air attacks on Libya in hopes of stopping Muammar Gaddafi from killing his own people. Tupac Shakur said it best in “Keep Ya Head Up:” “They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor.” 

According to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, U.S. costs from the operation could easily pass the $1 billion mark. So putting our scope in perspective, it’s surprising that we can’t pay our teachers in America, but we can strike and bomb the compounds of ruthless dictators. 

STORY: F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes And Burns (PHOTOS)

The Pentagon has the money in its budget to cover unexpected emergencies, but where is the unexpected budget in case we have to lay-off teachers? 

On the first day of strikes, the U.S.-led forces launched 112 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which cost about $1 million to $1.5 million apiece, from ships stationed off the Libyan coast. That totaled $112 million to $168 million. Maintaining a coastal no-fly zone after those initial strikes would cost in the range of $30 million to $100 million per week. The initial stages of taking out Gaddafi’s coastal air defenses could ultimately cost between $400 million and $800 million. 

These numbers are staggering and if we break down the figures, budget deficits in Wisconsin, energy and the working poor would be wiped out instantly.  

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Wisconsin: The New Richmond School District has given all of their teachers lay-off notices. The district will not lay-off all 204 teachers, but had to send out notices to every single one to prep for changes in Wisconsin’s contract renewal process. At the cost of $100 million a week, let’s give that money to the 204 teachers that may lose their jobs. $490,196 for every teacher each week we continue strikes in Libya.

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Energy Assistance: In February 2011, President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget is set to cut several billion dollars from the government’s energy assistance fund for poor people. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allowed families across the country to heat their homes. Apparently, we can heat up Gaddafi’s compound, but we can’t afford to keep our freezing Americans warm.

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The Working Poor: Working poor and people who need government assistance will begin to feel the hardships of the economy. The U.S. House plans to cut WIC for low income mothers with infants, programs like Head Start and heating assistance for people who need it. All these programs will be extinct sooner or later. There’s enough money to strike and attack Gaddafi but we can’t feed, cloth and shelter our working poor.