The results of the penny poll at the Benton County Fair

At the Benton County Fair, August 3-6, the Corvallis peace community, with the leadership of the local Linus Pauling chapter of Veterans For Peace and the help of several vigil-ers, sponsored a penny poll. 

Passersby were offered ten pennies, representing the roughly one trillion dollars which the United States has spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and asked, how would you spend that money? Each participant divided the pennies among six labeled jars. Here is how some Benton County residents chose to spend the money.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya                           $1.07      4%

core military, courts, nat'l government     $1.84      7%

fire and police, infrastructure                   $5.04    18%

foreign aid, building peace                      $4.09     15%

health, human services                           $9.01     33%

renewable energy, climate change         $6.48      25%

Thanks to the volunteers who staffed the booth and to the fair visitors who stopped for conversation.