[Peace-discuss] Fwd: {Spam?} FCNL: Support Budget Priorities for the Common Good, Not War

[Jay Mittenthal]

>Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 17:45:35 -0500 (EST)
>X-Authentication-Warning: vienna3.his.com: majordom set sender to 
>owner-fcnl-news at fcnl.org using -f
>Subject: {Spam?} FCNL: Support Budget Priorities for the Common Good, Not War
>From: fcnl-news at fcnl.org
>Sender: owner-fcnl-news at fcnl.org
>Reply-To: fcnl-news at fcnl.org
>To: undisclosed-recipients:;
>X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
>X-MailScanner-SpamCheck: spam, SpamAssassin (score=6.3, required 6,
>         ACCEPT_CREDIT_CARDS, CALL_FREE, CLICK_BELOW, LINES_OF_YELLING,
>         LINES_OF_YELLING_2, LINES_OF_YELLING_3, NO_REAL_NAME,
>         SPAM_PHRASE_05_08, UNDISC_RECIPS, X_AUTH_WARNING)
>X-MailScanner-SpamScore: ssssss
>
>FCNL LEGISLATIVE ACTION MESSAGE - (02/27/2003)
>
>The following action items from the Friends Committee on National
>Legislation (FCNL) focus on federal policy issues currently before Congress
>or the Administration.
>
>TOPICS:
>SUPPORT BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMON GOOD, NOT WAR
>NEW IRAQ RESOLUTION INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE
>
>SUPPORT BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE COMMON GOOD, NOT WAR: House and Senate
>Budget Committees are moving rapidly to set the President's budget
>priorities in place for the coming year (Fiscal Year 2004).  The committees
>are expected to mark up their versions of the budget resolution soon,
>setting priorities for revenues and expenditures.  There are a number of
>skeptics in both parties who question the President's proposed tax cuts, the
>costs of the President's proposed war against Iraq, and the frozen or
>reduced spending the President is demanding for most other federal programs.
>These critics need to be encouraged to ask hard questions and to speak out
>against budget priorities that will undermine efforts to advance human
>security at home and abroad for years to come.
>
>ACTION: Please contact your representative and senators.  Urge them to speak
>out against wasting precious humanity, blood, and treasure on war against
>Iraq.  Urge them to oppose more tax cuts for the wealthiest, to oppose more
>wasteful military spending, and to support increased investment in programs
>that advance human security at home and abroad.
>
>COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IS EASY: Start with the sample
>letter posted in our Legislative Action Center, personalize the language,
>then email or fax your message directly from our site.  You can also print
>it out and mail it.  To view the sample letter, click on the link below,
>then enter your zip code and click <Go> in the <Take Action Now> box.
>Here is the link:
>http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=1533081&type=CO
>
>BACKGROUND: The threat of war and its potential costs, deepening deficits,
>and the president's budget priorities are threatening to cause a fiscal
>train wreck that could easily derail prospects for advancing human
>development, economic security, energy alternatives, and environmental
>protection at home and abroad for years to come.  The President's budget
>priorities include dramatic new and accelerated tax cuts ($1.4 trillion over
>ten years), another huge increase in military spending ($16.9 billion or
>4.4%), increases in aid to allies in the war on terror and homeland security
>spending, and frozen or reduced budgets in most other areas of government
>activity.  The cost to the Pentagon of fighting the war on terror ($28
>billion so far) and a potential war in Iraq (approaching $100 billion in the
>first year alone) is extra-not counted in the President's budget proposal.
>Nor does the budget include any funding for humanitarian relief and
>reconstruction in a post-war Iraq, which will certainly be in the tens of
>billions.
>
>Combined, these budget and policy priorities will deepen the federal deficit
>in FY03 alone to over $300 billion (or much more if the U.S. goes to war).
>These priorities will also undermine the capacity of the federal government
>to address growing human security challenges at home and abroad for years to
>come.
>
>These are the wrong priorities for the country, especially at this time.
>The economy is staggering.  There are growing numbers of people without
>jobs, in poverty, and without health insurance.  Most states are on the
>verge of bankruptcy.  Economic disparity is growing at home and abroad.  The
>UN is predicting that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is likely to claim another 49
>million victims this decade.  The fear of war, the potential costs of war,
>and deepening deficits are all making matters worse, dragging the economy
>down, further reducing revenues, and undermining the government's capacity
>to address these growing needs.  These budget priorities will hasten the day
>when the Social Security and Medicare trust funds become insolvent,
>threatening the future economic security for our aging population.
>
>THE COSTS OF WAR VS. MEETING HUMAN NEEDS: CONSIDER THE CHOICES
>
>$682 billion. The estimated total cost of potential war against Iraq,
>occupation, nation-building, reconstruction, humanitarian aid, claims and
>reparations (worst case scenario). OR Fill the gap between human development
>needs around the world and current funding levels for humanitarian and
>international development assistance for six years.
>
>$105 billion. Occupy Iraq for five years with 150,000 troops in the first
>year, 100,000 in the second year, and 70,000 in years 3-5. OR  Fully fund
>international efforts to meet World Health Organization treatment and
>prevention goals for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other common
>preventable and treatable diseases in the poorest countries for over three
>years.
>
>$105 billion. Reconstruct Iraq after bombing and destroying it. OR  Extend
>primary education to all children around the globe who are not currently
>enrolled for eight years.
>
>$80 billion. Wage war against Iraq for six months with 350,000 troops. OR
>Fill the anticipated combined revenue shortfall for state governments in the
>U.S. this year.
>
>$12 billion. Impose martial law on Iraq and support nation-building for five
>years. OR  Extend access to clean water to the 960 million people who do not
>currently have access (about $9 billion). OR  Expand school lunch programs
>to reach 300 million children and expand nutrition programs to 450 million
>women, infants, and pre-school children in the poorest countries for two
>years.
>
>$1.3 billion. Operate an aircraft carrier battle group for one year
>(routine, non-war, operating cost). OR  Provide health coverage for 950,000
>children in the U.S. for one year.
>
>For more information and sources, click here
>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/int/sup/iraq_war_costs.htm.
>
>NEW IRAQ RESOLUTION INTRODUCED:  On February 25, Reps. Brown (OH), Hoeffel
>(PA), and Tauscher (CA) introduced H.J.Res. 24, which would require the
>President to report to Congress and answer a number of troubling unanswered
>questions, prior to launching an invasion in Iraq.  Has the Administration
>exhausted all reasonable diplomatic efforts? What are the potential costs
>and consequences - economic, political, and humanitarian, of a U.S.-led
>invasion and occupation? What are the risks related to potential terrorist
>attacks and national security?  Is there sufficient international support
>for war?
>
>Please ask your representatives to cosponsor H.J.Res. 24.  For further
>information see the Legislative Message from February 21, 2003.  Here is the
>link: <http://www.fcnl.org/act_lam_current/lam220_03.htm.  You can view the
>resolution by clicking here:
><http://www.fcnl.org/issues/int/sup/iraq_resolution220-03.htm>.  The world
>is questioning this war, Congress should too.
>
>VIRTUAL MARCH SUCCEEDS, CONGRESS QUESTIONS WAR: On February 26, over one
>million calls, faxes, and emails calling for continued inspections and no
>war on Iraq poured into the Senate and White House (Win Without War
>coalition).  Thank you for joining in this remarkable effort!
>
>CONTACTING LEGISLATORS
>
>Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 800-839-5276
>
>Sen. ________
>U.S. Senate
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>Rep. ________
>U.S. House of Representatives
>Washington, DC 20515
>
>Information on your members is available on FCNL's web site:
>http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq
>
>CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION
>
>White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111
>FAX: 202-456-2461
>E-MAIL: president at whitehouse.gov
>WEB PAGE: http://www.whitehouse.gov
>
>President George W. Bush
>The White House
>Washington, DC 20500
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>This message supplements other FCNL materials and does not reflect FCNL's
>complete policy position on any issue.  For further information, please
>contact FCNL.
>
>Mail: 245 Second Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
>Email: fcnl at fcnl.org
>Phone: (202) 547-6000
>Toll Free: (800) 630-1330
>Fax: (202) 547-6019
>Web: http://www.fcnl.org
>
>Your contributions sustain our Quaker witness in Washington.  We welcome
>your gifts to FCNL, or, if you need a tax deduction, to the FCNL Education
>Fund.  You can use your credit card to donate money securely to FCNL through
>a special page on FCNL's web site http://www.fcnl.org/suprt/indx.htm
>FCNL also accepts credit card donations over the phone.  For more
>information about donating, please contact the Development Team directly at
>development at fcnl.org. Thank you.
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>This message may be found regularly on FCNL's web site http://www.fcnl.org
>where a printer-friendly version is available and on PeaceNet in the
>fcnl.updates conference.
>
>This message is distributed regularly via the fcnl-news mailing list.  To
>subscribe to this list, please visit FCNL's web site at
>http://www.fcnl.org/listserv/quaker_issues.php
>
>Alternatively, you can send an e-mail message to majordomo at his.com.  Leave
>the subject line blank.  The message should read "subscribe fcnl-news."
>Please Note: Make sure that you are sending this message from the e-mail
>address to which you would like fcnl-news materials to be sent.
>
>If you currently receive this message via the fcnl-news mailing list and are
>no longer interested in receiving messages from this list, send an e-mail
>message to majordomo at his.com.  The message should read "unsubscribe
>fcnl-news."
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
>We seek a society with equity and justice for all
>We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled We seek
>an earth restored...