Appeal to President Obama and The Philadelphia Congressional Delegation: Reduce Military Spending 25% - Fund Our Communities
- Target:
- Members of Congress and the White House
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- www.25percentsolution.com
The recession is increasing demand for services in our communities while sapping the funding they need. Where are we going to find a permanent, reliable source of funding for the human and other services our constituents need?
US military spending amounts to more than $700 billion a year if the off-the-books wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear weapons programs in the Department of Energy, and other agencies’ military line items are added to the Pentagon’s budget. The $175 billion that would result from a 25% cut could be redirected to veterans’ services, housing and family support for current military personnel, and social services – community health, mental health, education, community safety, to name a few – that are urgently needed in the recession and on an ongoing basis.
Withdraw in a timely fashion from Iraq = $105 billion in year one
Withdraw from Afghanistan = $25 billion
Eliminate wasteful weapons systems = $33 billion
Reduce active nuclear warheads = $16 billion
Close half of US overseas military bases = $51 billion
Trim unused air wings and sea forces = $5 billion
Eliminate waste in procurement and operations = $20 billion
FURTHERMORE:
--The US spends almost as much on its military as all the other countries of the world combined.
--The military budget almost doubled during the eight years of the Bush administration.
--More than half of all U.S. annual discretionary spending goes to the military and war fighting.
--Tens of billions are spent on costly and unnecessary weapons systems.
--The US maintains more than 800 military bases in almost 100 foreign countries.
--The U.S. pours nearly $500,000 per minute into the Iraq war.
The 25% Solution campaign of Philadelphia is part of a nation-wide campaign to cut military spending and fund our communities.
I want to be part of the solution... the 25% solution...
With the U.S. facing devastating economic and environmental crises, with our states and cities forced into layoffs and cutbacks, now is the moment to demand a shift in our country’s priorities. Military spending -- now more than $700 billion per year -- is bankrupting our country and draining the life blood of our communities.
Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, in calling for a 25% reduction in military spending, has put the issue clearly -- “If we are not able to get military spending under control … …we will not be able to respond to important domestic needs.”
We support a 25% reduction in military spending, with the savings redirected to urgent needs, including the funding of jobs in housing, health care, education, clean energy and infrastructure repairs -- and preventing the layoff of State and local public workers in the Commonwealth. The call for a 25% reduction is a practical step. Just ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, cutting unneeded weapons programs, and eliminating wasteful spending would easily meet the goal without compromising our security in any way.
The 25% Solution campaign of Philadelphia is part of a nation-wide campaign to cut military spending and fund our communities.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Appeal to President Obama and The Philadelphia Congressional Delegation: Reduce Military Spending 25% - Fund Our Communities petition to Members of Congress and the White House was written by Ciara Kehoe and is in the category Politics at GoPetition.