Resolution : End the Wars, Redirect Resources to Critical Needs
March 14, 2011 Lewisboro Town Board
Whereas, March 19, 2011 is the 8th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and October will be the 10th anniversary of the Afghanistan war, arguably the longest in U.S. history, and
Whereas, our country and community face the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression; and
Whereas, 58 cents of every tax dollar spent by the Federal Government on discretionary appropriations is spent to pay for past, present and future military expenditures;
Whereas, not including U.S. military forces presently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, our country maintains more than 350,000 troops stationed in 146 countries and a network of more than 800 bases in 63 foreign countries, which together cost more than $372 billion annually; and
Whereas, U.S. military spending is nearly equal to the total military spending of the rest of the world, and interest payments alone on the military portion of the national debt consumed $30.25 billion in 2009; and
Whereas, between FY 2001 and FY 2008, federal grants to state and local governments increased 0.57% for every 1% increase in total federal budget authority; yet, during the same period, federal military expenditures increased 1.47% for every 1% in total federal budget authority - 258 times the rate of increase in grants to state and local government; and
Whereas, for every $1 billion spent on the military 11,600 jobs are created, while for the same billion dollars 14,800 jobs are created in consumption derived from tax cuts; 17,100 jobs are created by investments in clean energy; 19,600 jobs are created by funding health care; and 29,100 jobs are created from spending on education; and
Whereas, the Pentagon budget was $297 billion when President Clinton left office, and the proposed 2011 fiscal year Pentagon budget was $708 billion, more than double, and military spending by other agencies raises that total to more than $1 trillion; and
Whereas, instead of making us safer, this massive misallocation of resources and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created more enemies and actually increased the risk of terrorism, and have already cost the lives of over 5000 U.S. troops, wounding more than 100,000 others, and when future medical treatment for injured veterans, replacement equipment and armament, interest payments on the military portion of the debt, and other residual costs are factored in, by 2017 total expenditures are projected to run between $3 and $5 trillion; and
Whereas, this drain on the public treasury is bleeding our nation and forcing a choice between ever greater debt that will be borne by future generations or severe cuts in vital social programs and public services, resulting in government’s inability to meet the most basic needs of our people; and
Whereas, there is no military solution to the problem of terrorism, but terrorists have been effectively dealt with as a criminal justice problem, using police and intelligence methods, choking off finances, and through development assistance, education and other means to address the underlying grievances that are a seedbed for terrorism;
therefore,
Be it resolved, that the Town Board of the Town of Lewisboro calls upon the Congress and the President to change course by ending the wasteful and unwinnable wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, dismantling the global network of military bases, bringing all our troops and tax dollars home, and dramatically shifting our national priorities to meet human needs, restore vital social programs and public services, rebuild our nation’s deteriorating infrastructure, decaying inner cities and the still devastated Gulf Coast, thereby creating stable jobs at living wages for all who seek employment, and by putting our nation on an environmentally sustainable, ecologically responsible path that addresses the challenge of global warming and environmental degradation while reinvigorating our economy; and
Be it finally resolved, that our nation’s security can be more effectively enhanced by using our resources to address the causes of global poverty, hunger, disease, and under-development that are the seedbed for conflict, and by relying on diplomacy, development aid, and international cooperation rather than force of arms, war and military occupation to protect our national security and promote peaceful relations with other countries and peoples.
