Do the Numbers

Lets do the numbers.  OK, yes, I may be a Policy-dork, but I am proud of it, and love to share with everyone including my roomates who patiently listen to me.  I've been way too much into this chart I've been puting together for work, comparing the poverty-focused development assistance funding the US currently gives, to the promises Bush made at the G8 in June, to what the US must give to reach the MDGs by 2015. 

Bush promised to double aid to Africa and globally by 2010, from 2004 levels.  OK, so in 2004 the US gave $8.68B to help poor people globally.  That means that to meet President Bush's promises in 2010, the US must give $17.3B.  Soooo....lets say that we DO fulfill these promises, ok? $17.3B in 2010 is only HALF of the money the US must provide inorder to meet the Millennium Development Goals. The US must give $37.5B in 2010 to reach the MDGs.    Yes, we can certainly say that the Promises Bush has made are a good step in the right direction, but we must go farther.  An additional 1% of the federal budget would meet the MDGs, the $37.5B in 2010, and this goes above and beyond the President's promises.