Earlier this week, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D- CA) submitted a proposal to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), asking the DNC to pass a resolution “Supporting Ending the War in Afghanistan and Transferring the Funding to Job Creation, other Crucial Domestic Priorities and Deficit Reduction.” Also, recently, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called for an end to “The War on the Middle Class.” Both wars, of course, must be ended; and the two a … Read More
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A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE PASADENA CITY COUNCIL’S PREFERENCE THAT MISDIRECTED FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BE REDIRECTED TO DOMESTIC PRIORITIES, INCLUDING PRESSING NEEDS IN THE CITY OF PASADENA.
WHEREAS, more than 180,000 United States military personnel, including many from the city, are bravely and honorably serving in Iraq and deserve the support of all the city citizens and Americans; and
WHEREAS, the people of this city will always honor the sacrifices of the American soldiers who have died or been wounded in combat in Iraq, including the more than 5,000 United States military personnel who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and the more than 38,000 who have been wounded; and
WHEREAS, the proposed war budget of year 2011 is 33.6% of the total proposed security budget; and
WHEREAS, our state’s cost of war is XX, and our city’s cost of the war is XX, while community development block grants are being cut by XX in our state; and
WHEREAS, the CITY Council of the city hereby expresses its deep opposition to the current budget of increasing military and war spending in Iraq, in part due to the impact on the available federal resources required to provide for the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of the American population, including the need to provide for the health, education, and homeland security of the City and of other major urban areas within the United States; and
WHEREAS, in excess of $1.003 trillion has been appropriated by Congress to fund military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan while in contrast, the City’s total amount of HUD grants has decreased significantly since 2002, the year before the commencement of the war in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, this decrease in federal grant money severely lessens the ability of the City to rebuild its urban core, promote home ownership opportunities in the city, and provide critical housing services for the poor, the disabled, and for people with HIV-AIDS and other medical needs; and
WHEREAS, according to analysis by the Task Force on a Unified Security Budget for the United States published by the Institute for Policy Studies 55.91 billion dollars of the total military spending could be cut allowing for development of domestic nonmilitary goals and redirect funds for immediate domestic goals in this city; and
WHEREAS, polls show that greater than 60% of Americans oppose sending additional American troops to Iraq while support for sending troops to Afghanistan is split, which indicates that the majority of Americans share this Council’s concerns with increasing funding levels in Iraq and Afghanistan at this time
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASADENA: SECTION 1. That Pasadena City Council supports the U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those that have previously served, and those that have been killed or wounded during such service, and their families.
SECTION 2. That Pasadena City Council expresses its opposition to President Obama’s increased war and military funding.
SECTION 3. That the city, its elected leaders and its citizens have a responsibility to highlight the implications of sending available federal resources, which are urgently needed by the most vulnerable portions of the American population in the city and other major urban areas within the United States.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the city shall forward copies to President Barack H. Obama, United States Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, House Representative Adam Schiff and members of the state U.S. Congressional delegation.
ADOPTED by the Common Council of the city, state this ** day of **** 2010.
-Name-,
Pasadena City Council
[Resolution **** will now be forwarded to the Mayor for signature.]
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BRING THE MONEY HOME NOW SAMPLE PETITION
Petition for the Pasadena City Council to Pass a Resolution for an End to Funding of the War in Iraq, a Timely and Safe Withdrawal of US troops to Begin Immediately, and a Redirection of Federal Budget Priorities to Decrease Military Spending and Increase Spending to Fund Urgent Domestic Needs in Our Own Communities.
We, the undersigned, request that the Pasadena City Council pass a resolution calling for all of the above.
Our reasons are:
-The justifications for the invasion were false and violated the public trust.
-Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan posed a threat to the U.S. at the time of the invasions and the war violates international law.
-The U.S. government has spent more than $1.004 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while the U.S. deficit climbs.
- The war’s funding has greatly influenced the economic downturn and oncoming recession.
-Astronomical military spending steals from city citizens through cuts in social programs as well as job loss from economic downturn.
-As of 6/08, the cost of the war to the city was **** (Check here.)
This money could have funded:
(Find out what the money could have funded here.)
-83,601 4-year scholarships at public universities,
Earlier this week, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D- CA) submitted a proposal to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), asking the DNC to pass a resolution “Supporting Ending the War in Afghanistan and Transferring the Funding to Job Creation, other Crucial Domestic Priorities and Deficit Reduction.” Also, recently, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called for an end to “The War on the Middle Class.” Both wars, of course, must be ended; and the two a … Read More
