Some people say the US Intelligence Community is too large and wields too much unchecked power. At the same time, others argue that it’s still not big enough and is massively hamstrung from effectively collecting against America’s adversaries. Regardless of your stance, Americans are privy to the total intelligence budget for the third time learning $80 billion was spent on the nation’s spying affairs in 2010. The previous two revelations in the total intelligence budget were figures in the mid-$20 billion ballparks released in 1997 and 1998. This number includes $53 billion for non-military intelligence which has nearly doubled since the 9-11 attacks led to mammoth growth in the community (largely with contractors). Many senators are now pushing for reducing these expenditures by drawing back on the number of contractors employed who compose a large portion of the estimated 100K employee workforce. More information on America’s intelligence posture can be found in Washington Posts Top Secret America expose.