CEDAR FALLS -- Since returning from Iraq in 2004, Jesse Dinsdale has struggled to pay for health care -- a service he had hoped would be provided by the government.

Instead the Cedar Falls veteran, who spent five years in the Army, has gone without insurance. When medical emergencies have occurred since his discharge, the 26-year-old pays for them out of his own pocket. Some late medical bills have adversely affected his credit history, he said.

"I think if we can spend $50,000 in 10 seconds (in Iraq) we should be able to pay for the care soldiers need when they come home," said Dinsdale, citing a figure reported last month by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof.

The former soldier was one of 15 people who gathered across from the Cedar Falls post office Tuesday to protest government spending on the war in Iraq. While residents mailed their tax returns, the group talked about alternative ways to allocate the nation's budget. To date the U.S. has spent more than $500 billion on the war, according to the nonpartisan National Priorities Project. Iowans have contributed $1.2 billion toward the effort, with taxpayers in Waterloo and Cedar Falls paying $38.7 million.

"I just feel like our taxes are going to a lot of unimportant things," said 29-year-old Jessica Ruiz-Hemmen, an assistant at the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Multicultural Education, who attended the protest. "I'd rather see the money being spent on the war in Iraq go toward education for our children or health care."

The protest was organized by Iowa Citizen Action Network, Working Families Win and Americans United for Change. Although the crowd gathered was small, activists said they hoped their message would reach a larger audience.

"We all agreed that this was something that needed to be shared," said Amy Logsdon, political director with ICAN. "Today especially, it's important to think about what our national priorities are."

Contact Mary Stegmeir

at (319) 291-1482 or

mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.