John McCain has yet to decide whether he will join Barack Obama at the first presidential debate tonight in Oxford, Mississippi.

SEIU members can think of 656 billion reasons why he should.

Thatthe dollar amount - to date - that taxpayers have kicked in to pay forthe Iraq War.  It's an astonishing amount - particularly when youcalculate what it could have paid for here at home, including:

    * four years of health care coverage for every uninsured American;
    * providing nearly 700 million homes with renewable energy; or
    * almost 11 million schoolteachers.  (www.thecostofwar.com)

Or - we could pay for one Wall Street bailout.

"DuringGeorge W. Bush's eight years as president, too many working familieshave lost their jobs, their homes and their health care, but JohnMcCain is not offering any path for real change," said SEIUSecretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "We need a new economic model thatrewards work, recognizes productivity and innovation, and provides afair set of rules for the marketplace and the workplace. A bailout forWall Street that ignores Main Street is part of the problem, not thesolution."

Forevery $100 billion America has spent on Iraq, for every $100 billiontaxpayers are giving to bailout Wall Street, $50 billion must bededicated to programs that will improve the lives of tens of millionsof Americans.

Yesterday,SEIU proposed (www.seiu.org/issues/reviveeconomy/index.cfm) that anylegislation Congress passes must include $350 billion for:

   1. Relief for struggling homeowners.
   2. A national health care plan.
   3. A plan for energy independence and green job creation.
   4. Retirement security.
   5. Improved infrastructure.
   6. Tax reforms to correct a system that currently favors CEOs and business while contributing to a growing income divide.
   7. Reforms that ensure workers have real freedom to choose a voice at work.
   8. Affordable education. "

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