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Washington State Legislature Takes on Excessive Military Spending and the War on Afghanistan
AFSC and FOR ask that you please take a few minutes to read this message carefully and in its entirety and forward it.
We heartfully thank you for your support has made the following possible:
Senate Joint Memorial 8083 requesting a reduction in federal military spending and ending the war in Afghanistan has been introduced in the WA State Legislature!!
We are very pleased to announce that the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections
is scheduled to hear comments and testimony on February 2nd, at 10am, in the Senate Hearing Room 2, Cherberg Bldg, Olympia. This bill sends an urgent message from the entire Legislature representing us, and our State that:
“...Congress and the President change course by ending the war in Afghanistan:
Dramatically shifting our national priorities to create stable jobs at living wages
for all who seek employment;
restoring vital social programs and public services;
rebuilding our nation’s deteriorating infrastructure;
and putting our nation on an environmentally sustainable,
ecologically responsible path
that addresses the challenge of climate change and environmental degradation
while reinvigorating jobs and our economy."
The origin House Joint Memorial 4013 (resolution) is now in the House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee. If passed in the Senate it will more than likely be passed in the House as well, where there are 18 legislative co-sponsors, led by Rep. Bob Hasegawa. The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Maralyn Chase and co-sponsor, Senator Tom from Bellevue area.
What Can You Do to Help?
Encourage them to support the Joint Memorial Bill 8083.
2) Please call, and ask friends and family in other areas of the State to call:
Senator Craig Pridemore , the chair and Senator Margarita Prentice the co-chair.
They have the power to sway the committee so that it is passed.
Other Senators on committee are Swecker, Benton, Chase, Nelson, & Roach. (See list below for districts, and links.)
3) Please, please, come to Olympia and attend the hearing on:
Thursday, February 2, at 10am,
Senate Hearing Room #2 on the 1st Floor of the Cherberg Building,
at the Capitol, in Olympia.
Bring your friends. Let's pack the Senate hearing room!
4) Please thank Representative Bob Hasegawa, who courageously led the way for other Legislators to sign on as co-sponsers.
We can thank these State Representatives in the House for their signed support:
Santos, Kenney, Goodman, Ryu, Appleton, Dunshee, Pollet, Ormsby, Pettigrew, Stanford, Takko, Dickerson, Reykdal, Hunt, and Moscoso.
And also please thank Senator Maralyn Chase, Sponsor and Sen. Rodney Tom,
co-sponsor of the pivotal Senate companion bill.
5) The Committee will be accepting letters of support by email. Please put “In support of Senate Joint Memorial 8083, End the Afghanistan War” in the subject line.
Please send letters of support directly to Sharon Swanson, Committee Coordinator at sharon.swanson@leg.wa.gov
6) If you have any questions or would like to arrange a carpool/ride for Feb 2, contact:
Nina Laboy - (206)355-4032 seattlerica@gmail.com
Ellen Finkelstein - (206) 661-3241 ellen@wwfor.org
Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm - (509) 680-4212 kpruitth@gmail.com
[Senate] Government Operations, Tribal Relations, & Elections
Pridemore, Chair (D) 49th District; Vancouver - (360) 786-7696
Margarita Prentice, Vice Chair (D) 11th District; Renton - (360) 786-7616
Dan Swecker (R) ranking Minority Member; 20th District, Rochester - (360) 786-7638
Don Benton (R) 17th District Vancouver - (360) 786-7632
Maralyn Chase (D) Sponsor of SJM 8083; 32nd District; Shoreline - (360) 786-7662
Sharon Nelson (D; 34th District; West Seattle, Vashon, Burien) - (360) 786-7667
Pam Roach (R; 31st District; Auburn) - (360) 786-7660
[House] State Government & Tribal Issues
Hunt, Sam co-sponsor of HJM 4013 (D)- Chair, 22nd District, Olympia - (360) 786-7992
Appleton, Sherry co-sponsor of HJM 4013 (D) Co-Chair, 23rd District, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Bremerton - (360) 786-7934
Taylor, David (R) ranking minority member, 15th District; Moxee - (360) 786-7874
Overstreet, Jason (R) assistant ranking minority member, 42nd District; Blaine - (360) 786-7980
Alexander, Gary (R) 20th District; Centralia, Olympia, Morton - (360) 786-7990
Condotta, Cary (R) 12th District; East Wenatchee - (360) 786-7954
Darneille, Jeannie (D) 27th District; Tacoma - (360) 786-7974
Dunshee, Hans co-sponsor of HJM 4013 (D) - 44th District; Snohomish - (360) 786-7804
Hurst, Christopher (D) - 31st District; Enumclaw, Buckley - (360) 786-7866
McCoy, John (D) - 38th District; Everett, Marysville - (360) 786-7864
Miloscia, Mark (D) - 30th District; Federal Way, Algona, Auburn, Des Moines - (360) 786-7898
Facts/Suggested Speaking Points:
In the News Today Jan 26:
"Make no mistake, the savings we are proposing will impact all 50 states and many districts across America," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a news conference at the Pentagon. "This will be a test of whether reducing the deficit is about talk or action.”
Our Response: The impact will provide recovery of State tax revenues that can instead be used to increase necessary “peacetime” jobs that work to strengthen the infrastructure of the country and secure, again, the safety net of our people and future generations. It is a step that can take the US in the direction of a sustained economy independent of war and the industry of wars.
Powerful members of Congress spoke out and local faith congregations are beginning to come together concerned that U.S. policy in Afghanistan was destabilizing the region and demand that tax dollars be redirected to meeting human needs and jobs, instead.
The proposed Pentagon cuts amount to 4% compared with it's 43% amount in growth over the past ten 10yrs, Their cuts are smaller than the cuts for education, energy research and job training.
The Pentagon is eating 60 cents on every tax dollar in the federal discretionary budget. It’s time military spending took a serious hit. A far smaller military would make us far safer by not deploying forces around the world and getting us into wars we don’t need.
The 1994 U.N. Human Development Report on “Human Security” documented that the higher the ratio of military to non-military government spending was in a country, the more unstable and the more vulnerable its people were to lack of health and education.
WA taxpayers have, so far, given over $10 billion in taxes just for the war in Afghanistan, alone.
The National Priorities Project data reports the following estimates:
Olympia $64.5 million, Yakima, $87.3 million, Seattle $990.8 million, Whatcom County $261 million, Chelan County $92 million, Thurston County $406.4 million, Island County 123.9 million.
These figures include both military and non-military spending such as reconstruction. Potential future costs, such as future medical care for soldiers and veterans wounded in the war, are not included. These figures also do not include additional interest payments on the national debt that will result from higher deficits due to war spending.
Soldiers' regular pay is not included but combat pay is included.
These numbers are based on an analysis of legislation in which Congress has allocated money for war and research by the Congressional Research Service which has access to Department of Defense financial reports.
The Fiscal Year 2012 budget includes over $115 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan funded through the Defense Department, including roughly $9 billion for Iraq. The withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq does not mean the end of U.S. funding for Iraq operations.
Likewise, the FY2012 budget includes billions of additional dollars for Iraq and Afghanistan funded through the Department of State.
Quotes:
Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Norm Dicks (WA).
“We need to start seeing if we can do this a little faster, I think the American people would overwhelmingly like to see this brought to a conclusion sooner than 2014.”
Politico, June 02, 2011
House Armed Service Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA),
“The time is long overdue for the U.S. to depart [Afghanistan].”
The Seattle Times, March 16, 2011
Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney:
"It's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can, only the Afghanis can win Afghanistan's independence from the Taliban."
Republican presidential debate, June 13, 2011
Thank You For Your Support,
American Friends Service Committee Pacific NW
Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation
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