+1 Why not? They both amount to tax dollars being spent. You can compare ANYTHING if they have dollar amounts attached to them. Dollars are a very tangible concrete item to compare and contrast against. The only debate is what the value of what you get in return for those dollars is worth? You know what it costs, that's tangible, but what you're 'buying' is intangible for the most part. Intangibles are MUCH more difficult to place a value on.