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Have you seen this? Representative Alan Grayson of Florida’s 8th Congressional District introduced the “War Is Making You Poor” Act (Hr 5353), which aims to cut the Department of Defense budget and use the money to make the first $35,000 each American earns tax-free.
AlterNet says “Budgeting is all about priorities, and the bill can raise public awareness of that fact. The Right has done a remarkable job convincing the American public that tax dollars used for programs that help the middle class or the poor are dollars “taken out of your pocket,” but no such consideration is given to the trillions spent on financing our military operations.”
Think this is an idea worth supporting? Let our Congresspeople know. Start with Elton Gallegly, and we might as well give Senators Boxer and Feinstein a heads-up too. While we’re at it, let the President know this is hot!
Contact Congressman Gallegly (Our zip+4 is 93023-2259)
Filed under: Afghanistan, economy, Iraq, peace, video, war | Tagged: Afghanistan, Boxer, budget, Congress, DoD, Feinstein, funding, Gallegly, Grayson, House Resolution, military, Obama, President, Senate, taxes, video, war | Leave a Comment »
From AfterDowningStreet.org:
On Thursday, April 29, 2010, a “Teach-In on Capitol Hill,” was held in Room 2168 of the Rayburn House Building, in Washington, D.C., dealing with the question of what the U.S. Congress must do to end the U.S. Wars and secure a peaceful Middle East. Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) served as the moderator. On the panel were: David Swanson, Chris Hedges, Ann Wright, Jeremy Scahill, and Josh Stieber. You can view the entire 80-minute teach-in by clicking here.
Funding an escalation of war in Afghanistan with $33 billion is:
illegal,
immoral,
against the public will,
economically catastrophic,
counterproductive on its own terms, and
a cynically motivated intentional failure
READ WHY
1. Call Your Congress Member at (202) 224-3121 and tell them that you will vote against them if they vote to fund an escalation in Afghanistan. Sure, their opponent could be worse, but not much, and decent representation will only be possible if representatives fear the public more than they fear the funders, media, and parties.
2. If they tell you they want to vote for aid to Haiti or some other lipstick included in the bill, tell them those things can pass separately and constitute no excuse. You want a commitment now to vote No no matter what.
3. If they tell you it’s the very last supplemental, tell them you didn’t believe that BS last June and won’t believe it now.
4. If they tell you they want to obey the president, ask them to read the U.S. Constitution and see what’s in Article I. Ask them why they think the framers put the war power in the Congress.
5. If they tell you they want to “support duh troops,” tell them that a No vote merely avoids or undoes an escalation, thus preventing troops from being sent to risk their lives under illegal orders.
6. If they tell you they’re voting for a toothless non-binding request for an exit time-table, tell them a growing causus opposing the funding sends a stronger message and builds toward the ability to actually end the war. Tell them the exit strategy approach, last summer, was rightly delayed until after the funding vote, and then garnered 138 votes, to which the president merely gave a one-finger salute. Let them know that ineffective rhetoric is no substitute for action.
7. Ask them to commit now to whipping their colleagues to vote No. And report on what they tell you at DefundWar.org.
Filed under: Afghanistan, kucinich, protest, veterans, video, voting, war, website | Tagged: Afghanistan, call-in, capitol, Congress, escalation, kucinich, military, Obama, President, protest, war | Leave a Comment »
This just in from the Oak View Civic Council:
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
Join us for the Memorial Day Parade Monday May 31 2010!!
The Oak View Civic Council honors our Ojai Valley Veterans. Our theme is “Honoring our Veterans, in War and Peace”. Monday May 31st, we start with a pancake breakfast from 7–10: am organized by the American Legion in Oak View. Our valley wide Memorial Day Parade starts at 9:45 along Old Ventura Ave. in Oak View and entrants march/roll down the shortest parade route ! We encourage your organization to join us to make this community parade a wonderful event for all.
(Full text on the Ojai Post)
Ojai Peace Coalition Director evan austin was consulted by the parade committee as to a theme, and there is new organizing blood involved that is making a real effort to diversify the event and participation. Reaching out to the OPC is one evidence of that. The question before us is this:
Should the Ojai Peace Coalition participate in the Oak View Memorial Day Parade?
This question has two parts:
1) PRACTICALITY – Can we literally muster enough participation to present ourselves well?
2) PHILOSOPHY – Is this event/theme something that we can frame ourselves into with integrity?
Your feedback is greatly valued and desired!
Filed under: Afghanistan, Iraq, Ojai, peace, veterans, war | Tagged: community, memorial day, oak view, ojai post, parade, peace, veterans, war | 3 Comments »
from NotMyPriorities.org
So today was (is, really, until midnight) Tax Day in America, and while some will clamor that income taxes are illegal and shouldn’t be paid at all, others will offer reasons and ways to resist paying all or part of one’s taxes on moral/philosophical grounds. Still others are disgruntled at the extra cash they shell out simply because their marriage is not recognized by the nation, and the Tea Partiers will be doing whatever the hell it is that they do, and deleting differing viewpoints from their Facebook pages.
Tax Day in America seems to me to be an excellent time to check in on our national priorities, for two reasons: 1) in this capitalist nation, where we’ve spent our money is a clear indicator of where our priorities are NOW, and 2) while everyone’s mind is on the money they’re paying and expecting back, including our politicians, is a great time to have a discussion about how we want our money – capitalism’s word for “priorities” – to be invested in the future.
Obviously the wars are fucking us over in every way. If that language is too strong for you, check out how you might be avoiding or denying the realities of war, both on the battlefields and back here at home. Our language has exceptionally strong words like that for a reason, and i can think of no better application than here.
Filed under: Afghanistan, blog, California, economy, education, Healthcare, housing, Human Rights, Iraq, Ojai, peace, tax, war, website | Tagged: Afghanistan, capitalism, Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions, Congress, contact, Cost of War, education, facebook, government, Iraq, Martin Luther King, MLK, national priorities, National Priorities Project, nuclear weapons, Obama, Ojai, Ojai Peace Coalition, Pentagon, President, schools, tax day, taxes, Tea Party, teachers, Ventura County, war, weapons | Leave a Comment »
Tonight, just like nearly every Friday night since George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004, a tiny and committed group of Citizens will gather under the Pergola in front of Libbey Park for one hour beginning at 5pm, to vigil for an end to War. Tonight’s vigil carries an extra message: we mark the grotesque milestone of 1,000 U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan. (1,007 as of today, according to icasualties.org).
Filed under: Afghanistan, Iraq, Ojai, peace, protest, veterans, vigil, war | Tagged: Afghanistan, gathering, memorial, military, Noble Peace Prize, nonviolence, Ojai, peace, protest, vigil | 1 Comment »
Headlines from Democracy Now! Headlines from Common Dreams
