How Much is $1.6 Trillion?

Dr. Evil once held the world hostage for a staggering one hundred billion dollars.  This time Dr. Evil’s demands have been eclipsed by the Obama Administration (instead of Austin Powers), with cohorts Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Baucus (D-MT) demanding $1.6 trillion for a new diabolical plot: National Health Care.

As the costs of health care reform begin to take shape, some of us are wondering how much $1.6 trillion really is.

Putting things into perspective, $1.6 trillion would:

• Be enough to buy 83 million Americans the new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

• Make 1,413,003,161.59 monthly mortgage payments for Americans with the average house price of $170,200 for a 30 year plan at a 7% interest rate.

• Supply 22 billion 10 pound frozen turkeys to Americans (about 72.35 turkeys per person).

• Provide $722,173 to each American age 5-24 to put toward education.

• Buy 3,256 Americans the same new super yacht that Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich is building, priced at $492 million.

Feeding billions, educating and housing millions, and cleaning up the planet are all very real spending alternatives to more government control over our health care.  The best alternative though, may be as simple as leaving the money in the pockets of the American people, allowing them to decide how they would like to spend their share of $1.6 trillion.

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