Bob may be in a slightly foul mood today, but his point is valid: the 17-40L is a fantastic choice for a 10D. If I were to build an inexpensive lens system for a 10D, I'd start with the 17-40 f/4 L and 70-200 f/4 L. In between either a 50mm f/1.4 or the 50mm compact macro. Total lens investment: $1,579.85 USD at B&H today if you go for the f/1.4, $1,504.85 USD if you go for the compact macro.
Sure, he can't buy them all at once on the stated budget, but the 17-40 f/4L is in the $500 to $1,000 range. You can buy both of these first-rate zooms for a total of $1,264.90 if you skip the 50mm altogether. That's about the same price as a 24-105 f/4L IS if you can live with 38-168mm coverage, but it's all in one lens.