The federal government estimates it will spend between $60 to $65 million evacuating Americans in Lebanon, Examiner reporter Jaime Malarkey reported earlier this week.
But that figure will likely balloon. It does not include money spent to buy hotel rooms, provide cash assistance and plane fare for the 14,000 evacuees since their arrival in the United States.
Their travel to the U.S. was paid by taxpayers. Many evacuees signed promissory notes to repay the government for financial help for U.S. expenses, but who knows if they will.
The $60 to $65 million figure also does not include money the federal government says it will repay to states for providing assistance to evacuees.
And we all know how good the government is at estimating expenses.
Remember when the Iraq war was supposed to cost $80 billion? The Congressional Budget Office said earlier this month that the cost so far is $291 billion and could be half a trillion even if all troops leave by 2009.
As one reader has noted, those living in Lebanon were not living in Disneyland. If you choose to live in a conflict zone, you should have a plan to leave, other than the government rescuing you ? for free.
Many of those living abroad werewealthy business people and their families who could afford to pay for safe passage.
So far, evacuees have received travel assistance worth about $4,500 apiece, or twice as much as Hurricane Katrina victims, to whom the government gave $2,000 cash cards following the disaster.
To be sure, we the people, through our federal government, have since spent billions on disaster relief for hurricane victims.
The CBO estimates that hurricane disaster relief will add $54 billion to the deficit for 2006, $23 billion for 2007, and $13 billion for 2008.
But, unlike those escaping in Lebanon, those in Katrina and Rita?s paths could never have imagined such devastation.
We do not yet know how much the rescue operation will cost. One of government?s jobs is to protect its citizens.
Providing safe passage to American citizens trapped in a hostile land fits within the scope of its duties. (Hopefully the government is effectively screening evacuees entering the United States to ensure none are terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.)
But if you choose to live in a place where the possibility of war hangs over you daily, its hard to understand why taxpayers should subsidize your rescue.
It?s like saying that the government should provide free helicopter rescues to climbers stuck in a storm on Mount Everest.
If you take the risk, you ought to bear the burden of the cost.
Evacuees should pay we the people back.
