Cuts in State and Federal aid have forced the city of Brockton to lay off 480 of its 1,200 teachers starting in the upcoming school year. The $9.7 million shortfall now jeopardizes the hard work of teachers and students that turned Brockton into a symbol of urban success.

Based upon a by-community tax burden ratio, The National Priorities Project has pegged Brockton’s financial burden for the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars at approximately $416 million since 2001, an average of $46 million per year. These funds represent much needed teacher salaries, school and road repairs, and support of other community services. Congress has chosen to fund endless and fruitless wars at the expense of local services, including education, all supposedly to make us safer.

In an indecent act of legislative alchemy, our congressional leadership will reportedly “attach” desperately needed assistance to communities like Brockton to the additional appropriation of $33 Billion, that’s Billion, to continue the Afghan War for a few more months. Congress is now scheming to condition appropriation of $23 Billion for the “Keep Our Educators Working Act,” on passage of the additional war funding. And to make matters even more reprehensible, Congress intends to borrow this money, to be paid back with considerable interest by the same students it is intended to help.

Having already spent more than $80 Billion “reconstructing” Iraq and Afghanistan, it is clear that the priorities of Congress lie abroad rather than with their constituents at home. While state and local officials are starved for resources to take care of their communities, Congress is sending our tax dollars to communities overseas. It would appear that Democrats and Republicans alike, think it’s more important to fund teachers in Basra than in Brockton and Kandahar instead of Canton.

Instead of blaming our local officials and public unions, it is time to hold Capitol Hill accountable. Democrats and Republicans in Washington seem to have forgotten that nation-building begins at home, and that first and foremost, our national security depends on healthy communities and a well-educated population. Why do we keep re-electing these people?