[Peace-discuss] Hartford City Council Votes to Bring War Dollars Home Now

[C. G. Estabrook]

Hartford, CT City Council Votes to Bring Our War Dollars Home Now
City Council Urges Hartford residents to Attend April 9 Antiwar March in NYC

Unbridled war spending by the federal government and President Obama has drained
resources from our communities to keep the wheels of the war machine grinding
on. This has also translated into attacks on education and unions, especially in
the public sector, as states scramble to make up for budget shortfalls.

Recognizing that the majority of Americans are against the wars and occupations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, 17 groups and individuals with a focus on peace and
justice joined together to bring forward a resolution to the city council of
Hartford, CT. It said, Bring Our War Dollars Home Now! Money for Education,
Jobs, Housing and Healthcare!

On Monday, March 28th the city council of Hartford voted in favor of the
resolution. The resolution goes on to urge residents to join thousands on April
9, 2011 for a national march in New York City that says Bring our troops home
now, No to War, Cutbacks, Racism, Attacks on Muslims and Immigrants. For info go
to UNACPeace.org

With this historic vote Hartford is the first state capitol to pass such a
resolution and joins city councils in Portland, Maine and Northampton, MA in
saying not another penny for wars and occupations.

=====TEXT=====
A resolution of the city council of Hartford, CT calling upon the US
government and President Obama to Bring Our War Dollars Home Now

Whereas, the economic collapse has exhausted the financial resources at the
local, county, state and federal levels of the US; and

Whereas, the US government since
2001 has spent well over 1 trillion dollars nationally on the wars and
occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Connecticut nearly 28 billion
dollars has gone to war spending and more than $453 million has been
taken from the city of Hartford to fund the wars and occupations, and

Whereas, more than 5,700 US troops have been killed, more than 40,000 wounded;
and

Whereas, hundred’s of thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded and the
ongoing warfare poses great and unnecessary harm to the nation of Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan and elsewhere in the world; and

Whereas, billions of tax payer’s money is spent to prop up repressive regimes in
the Middle East and elsewhere around the world; and

Whereas,
educational services, medical care, housing, other essential public
services, infrastructure repair, and family financing throughout
Connecticut, especially in cities such as Hartford, have been diverted
from a constructive economy to these wars and occupations, and

Whereas,
budget deficits, largely due to war spending, have been used as a
pretext to force concessions from public sector unions from California
to Wisconsin to Connecticut; and

Whereas, 2010 census data shows that Hartford has the highest poverty rating in
Connecticut at 31.9% (nationally, the poverty rating is 14.3%) and

Whereas,
communities of color in Hartford have been hardest hit. Our city has a
population that is 41% Latino and 38% African American/West Indian population.
Unemployment for people of color is over 40%, and unemployment for people of
color is nearly 20% and when employed, people of color make only 60 cents for
every dollar made by white workers; and

Whereas, the above mentioned communities are heavily targeted for military
recruitment,

Be it resolved that the city council of Hartford call upon the US
government and President Obama to end the wars and occupations in Iraq
and Afghanistan and bring our war dollars home now.

Now be it further resolved, that the city council of Hartford support
informational events regarding the cost of the wars and occupations to
our community; and

Be it further resolved that the city council of Hartford support the right
of public sector unions and all other unions to collectively bargain
and defend the interests of their members; and

Be it further resolved, that the city council of Hartford urge residents
to participate in the April 9, 2011 national march in New York City to
end the wars and occupations and bring our war dollars home.