Foreign Aid -- Who Gets What?

Dear Friends:

I have given to the Haiti Relief Fund of the Presbyterian Church (USA). I do not write this because I am unsympathetic to the plight of the poor people of Haiti. Instead, I write it because I am concerned about them and about all other oppressed and poverty stricken people of the World!

The money that we have given to Haiti over the last 20 years, totals more than $2 Billion Dollars. Has it benefited the poor people of Haiti? Did it build them an infrastructure? Did our money build Hospitals, train Doctors, build water systems, an electrical grid, stronger housing codes? Apparently not. Where did it go? I leave that answer to you, Dear Reader, and I suspect I know your answer.

Below is the 2009 top ten Foreign Aid Recipients, and President Obama has promised to double this number for 2010. It is taken from Parade Magazine.

COUNTRY AID/PURPOSE
1. Israel
$2.4 billion
Virtually all of this money is used to buy weapons (up to 75% made in the U.S.). Beginning in 2009, the U.S. plans to give $30 billion over 10 years.
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2. Egypt
$1.7 billion
$1.3 billion to buy weapons; $103 million for education; $74 million for health care; $45 million to promote civic participation and human rights.
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3. Pakistan
$798 million
$330 million for security efforts, including military-equipment upgrades and border security; $20 million for infrastructure.
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4. Jordan
$688 million
$326 million to fight terrorism and promote regional stability through equipment upgrades and training; $163 million cash payment to the Jordanian government.
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5. Kenya
$586 million
$501 million to fight HIV/AIDS through drug treatment and abstinence education and to combat malaria; $15 million for agricultural development; $5.4 million for programs that promote government accountability.
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6. South Africa
$574 million
$557 million to fight TB and HIV/AIDS; $3 million for education.

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7. Mexico
$551 million
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8. Colombia
$541 million
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9. Nigeria
$491 million
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10. Sudan
$479 million
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How is this money -- your dollars and my dollars -- administered for the stated purposes? Do we have an administrator in-country writing checks for the stated purposes? Is that administrator monitoring how each dollar is spent? Is there an accounting for us at year's end? Can I have a report showing the use of my money? Did my money get spent for the stated purpose and did I get my money's worth?

Oh, Ron, there you go again. Don't be naive.

This is about keepingtherightpersoninpower/maintainingthebalance ofpower/assuringourpresenceinacontestedareaoftheworld/showingourintentions/ beingaworldcitizen. [Pick one...or more.]

I'm sorry, but when did you ask me if that is what I wanted to spend my money on? (danglingprepositionacknowledged!)

Let me be clear(er). Ask me, the next time -- not the current occupant of the Oval Office; they come and go. My money and me are here all the time!

ASK ME! STOP TAKING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC FOR GRANTED!! TRANSPARENCY !!!

Ronald D. Giles