US soldiers are expensive and should be paid for by special tax--Obama supporter

Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- "Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said

• higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for additional troops sent to Afghanistan and
  

• that NATO should provide half of the new soldiers.

An “additional income tax to the upper brackets, folks earning more than $200,000 or $250,000,” could fund more troops, Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag has estimated that

• each additional soldier in Afghanistan could cost $1 million, for a total that could reach $40 billion if 40,000 more troops are added.

That cost, Levin said, should be paid by wealthier taxpayers. “They have done incredibly well, and I think that it’s important that we pay for it if we possibly can”

• instead of increasing the federal debt load, the senator said."...

from Bloomberg News, "High Income Tax May be Needed for Afghan War Cost Levin Says," by Viola Gienger, 11/20/09