In an article reporting on President Bush's trip to Africa, the NYT told readers that Bush intends to spend $350 million over the next 5 years for treating several chronic diseases that afflict people in Sub-Saharan Africa. It would have been helpful to readers to put this spending in a context in which it could be more easily understand. The proposal comes to $70 million a year, which is equal to approximately 20 dollars of every million dollars of spending. Alternatively, this spending comes to approximately 23 cents per year for every person in the United States.
--Dean Baker