Binghamton's Mayor Matthew Ryan

NY mayor to put 'cost of war' sign on City Hall

April 15, 2010 Binghamton's mayor plans to hang an electronic "cost of war" sign outside City Hall.

The 4-foot-wide electronic sign being installed next week on a side wall of the building will highlight the cost to local, state and federal taxpayer of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. -->-->-->

Ryan gets praise, scorn for idea of 'cost-of-war' sign on city hall

Matt Ryan answers questions outside City Hall on Wednesday. (GEORGE BASLER / Staff Photo)

BINGHAMTON -- Matthew T. Ryan said Wednesday he was looking to spark a debate. He already has.

Flanked by local peace activists, the Binghamton mayor officially announced at a press conference that the city -- at his direction -- is installing a "cost-of-war" sign on the exterior of city hall that will show how much local taxpayer money has gone to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ryan emphasized not one penny of taxpayer money is going to pay for the electronic sign, which will go up next week. The cost, set at about $6,000, is being funded entirely by private contributions from the Broome County Cost of War (COW) Project, a local peace action group that has been demonstrating against the two wars. The group also will pay for the sign's upkeep. -->-->-->

Today especially one would think that the 'teabaggers' would be cheering on this Mayor, don't count on it, most of them Cheered on these Wars of Choice, along with the off budget borrowing to fund and defended even when billions were just plain lost, while Never mentioning any Sacrifice as to the soldiers serving and most certainly the Veterans of. They certainly haven't been front and center for us older vets! Nor do they even mention the occupations, now in their speeches and speak, still ongoing except when they feel that need to wrap the flag around them and sound like they 'support', as they rail against, now, what they should have the previous decade that got us to the now!!