Here's a New Idea for City and State Resolutions: Bring the Money Home!

Bring The Money Home Now Toolkit
The downloadable copy is available at http://www.citiesforprogress.org

Table of Contents:
Sample Resolution
Sample Petition
Talking Points on Iraq War: Quick Facts
Resources
Additional Talking Points/Opinion Pieces
Websites

Contact Information

Karen Dolan
Director, Cities for Progress/Cities for Peace
Fellow,
Institute for Policy Studies
1112 16th St NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
kdolan@igc.org
202.234.9382 x228

Sample Resolution: Bring the Money Home Now Resolution

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE (YOUR CITY/TOWN NAME HERE) CITY COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. TROOPS CURRENTLY SERVING IN IRAQ, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY SERVED, AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED OR WOUNDED DURING SUCH SERVICE, AND THEIR FAMILIES; AND EXPRESSING THE COUNCIL'S PREFERENCE THAT MISDIRECTED FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE WAR IN IRAQ BE REDIRECTED TO DOMESTIC PRIORITIES, INCLUDING PRESSING NEEDS IN THE CITY OF XXX.
WHEREAS, more than 137,000 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 3,000 United States military personnel who have died in Iraq and the more than 22,500 who have been wounded; and
WHEREAS, the proposed war budget of year 2008 is 27.2% of the total proposed security budget; and
WHEREAS, our state's cost of war is XX (http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home), and our city's cost of the war is XX, (http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home) while community development block grants are being cut by XX in our state (http://www.nationalpriorities.org/table1_cdbg); 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 $250 billion has been appropriated by Congress to fund military operations and reconstruction in Iraq 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, which indicates that the majority of Americans share this Council's concerns with increasing funding levels in Iraq at this time
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF XX:
SECTION 1. That X City Council supports the U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq, 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 X City Council expresses its opposition to President Bush'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 George W. Bush, United States Senators --- and ---, House Representative ---- and members of the state U.S. Congressional delegation.
ADOPTED by the Common Council of the city, state this 6th day of March, 2007.
So and So, President
City Council
[Resolution xxx will now be forwarded to the Mayor for signature.]

_________

Sample Petition
BRING THE MONEY HOME NOW
Petition for the City Council to Pass a Resolution for and 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 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.

-Iraq presented no threat to the U.S. at the time of the invasion and the U.S. war violates international law.

-The U.S. government has spent almost $200 billion on the war in Iraq 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 townturn

-As of 2/05, the cost of the war to the city was $2.1 billion**.

This money could have funded: (STATISTICS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY: http://www.nationalpriorities.org)

-83,601 4-year scholarships at public universities,

-health insurance for 1,032,648 Chicago children,

-228,414 Head Start students for one year,

-29,886 public school teachers for one year

-15,572 housing units in city

Name ____________________________________
Address __________________________________
City/State_________________________________
Telephone (optional) ________________________
E-Mail (optional)____________________________

Talking Points on Iraq War: Quick Facts

These figures were compiled October 30, 2007. In human and financial terms, the cost of war continues to rise every day.

Human toll (updated October 30 2007)

U.S. military killed in Iraq: 3839
Number of U.S. troops wounded in combat since the war began: 28,171
Iraqi police and military deaths: 7,391
Iraqi civilians killed: Estimates range from 75,971-82,776

Financial burden

Estimated cost of war to date to every U.S. citizen: $1500
Average monthly cost of the Vietnam War, adjusted for infl ation: $5.1 billion (2006)
Average monthly cost of the Iraq War: $5.6 billion (2006)
Amount that military contractor Halliburton/KBR has been awarded in contracts: $22 billion
Proposed War Spending for 2008: $145.2 billion
Reasonable Military cut which has not authorized or examined by Congress: $55.91 billion

The bill so far: $456 billion

What $456 billion could have paid for in the U.S. for one year:
Affordable housing units: 1.8 million or
Scholarships for university students: 40 million or
Head Start slots for a year: 27 million
Public School teachers: 7,897,598

What $456 billion could have paid for around the globe for three years:
Full funding for global anti-hunger efforts for and

Full funding of world-wide AIDS programs for and
Full funding for every child in the world for basic immunizations

Soldiers abroad

Number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq: 162,000
Number of “Coalition of the Willing” soldiers in Iraq: 14,200
Number of Private Military Contractors in Iraq: 20,000 - 25,000
Number of troops who have served two or more tours in Iraq: 341,000 (1/3rd of total)

Number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq who are Guard members or Reservists: 4 out of 10
Average time of mobilization for National Guard: 460 days
Status of Army National Guard Recruitment: 23 percent short of yearly goal
What General James Helmly, the Army Reserve’s commander, told the Pentagon in December 2004: his men were “degenerating into a broken force”
Percentage of reserve troops who earn lower salaries while on deployment: 30-40%
Percentage of U.S. police departments missing officers due to Iraq deployments: 44%

Continued resistance

Number of resistance fighters in Iraq:
November 2003 estimate: 5,000 fighters
2007 estimate: 70,000 fighters and 200,000 Iraqi sympathizers

Average number of attacks by Iraqi resistance per day:
July 2004: 47
July 2005: 70

What the Iraq war has created, according to the U.S. National Intelligence Council:
“a training and recruitment ground (for terrorists), and an opportunity for terrorists to enhance their technical skills.”

Effect on al Qaeda of the Iraq War, according to International Institute for Strategic Studies: “Accelerated recruitment”

Resources

Additional Talking Points/Opinion Pieces

Iraq Outlook 2008 – Erik Leaver – 1/9/08

The Surge: Illusion & Reality – Conn Hallinan – 12/24/07

Blank Checks for Defense Spending: Where's the Fight from Congress? - Tom Dispatch- Robert Dreyfuss- 6/6/07
< http://alternet.org/waroniraq/53236/>

We're All Feeling Impact of War -Morning Sun- 6/3/07

The Destruction of Iraqi Healthcase Infrastructure - Foreign Policy in Focus- Adil Shamoo- 5/31/07

The Democrats’ Support for Bush’s War - Foreign Policy in Focus- Stephen Zumes- 5/31/07

Federal Spending

Websites

Cities For Peace

Institute for Policy Studies

The National Priorities Project: Cost of War

Coalition on Human Needs

United For Peace and Justice

Code Pink

Global Exchange

After Downing Street

Bring Them Home Now

Vermont Network on Iraq War Resolutions

Foreign Policy In Focus

AntiWar

Stop the War Coalition

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Military Families Speak Out

More Than a Number

Veterans for Peace

What About Peace?

Bring Them Home Now.com

The Declaration of Peace

Fellowship of Reconciliation

Iraq Body Count

Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation

Iraq Action Coalition