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03/30/2007: "Political Math..."

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your hard earned tax dollars.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a. A billion seconds ago, it was 1959.
b. A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive.
c. A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
d. A billion days ago, no one walked on the earth on two feet.
e. However, a billion dollars ago is only 8 hours and 20 minutes ago at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division...

A Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrius (D), is presently asking Congress for $250 billion to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, but what does it mean?

a. Well if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans, you and every other man, woman and child in the city would each get $516,528.

b. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.
c. Not bad, but if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012...even better and probably would furnish your new home nicely with a dollar or two left over for gumbo!

Washington, DC.... Hello!!!!! ...... Are all of your dang calculators broken?