RESOLUTION: Stop Spending Our Tax Dollars for Hostilities in Afghanistan

Peacetown sponsored by Veterans For Peace Chapter 099 WNC (in collaboration with War Resisters League Asheville  and other organizations and individuals) requests the Asheville City Council to consider and approve:  

CITY OFASHEVILLE

IN THE CITY COUNCIL

RESOLUTION NUMBER ________

RESOLUTION ADVISING NORTH CAROLINA DELEGATES REPRESENTING ASHEVILLE CITIZENS IN THE U.S. CONGRESS AND SENATE TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF A TIMETABLE TOWARD ENDING EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURES OF OUR CITIZENS’ TAX DOLLARS ON MOUNTING HOSTILITIES IN AFGHANISTAN

WHEREAS, the financial resources available for use by governments at the local, county, state and federal levels in the United States are and must be limited; and

WHEREAS, the people of Asheville, NC have paid collectively since 2001 nearly 57 million dollars of their limited financial resources for warfare in Afghanistan alone; and

WHEREAS, citizens of Asheville, NC struggle to enjoy the benefits of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” described in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, or the “promotion of the general welfare” guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, because of necessary city-wide financial cut-backs on essential local services, such as education, infrastructure, economic development, transportation, public safety, housing, healthcare and environmental improvements; and

WHEREAS, because nearly one-half of all taxes collected by the federal government goes to fund the country’s military efforts; and

WHEREAS, because of this burdensome taxation at the federal level on Asheville citizens, such citizens find it extremely difficult to accept additional taxation and fees at the local level for above mentioned constructive and necessary local public services;

WHEREAS, continuing and surging of destructive warfare too often creates lasting and unnecessary harm to our brave and dedicated U.S. military personnel, their families and their communities, and to innocent people of Afghanistan;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the City of Asheville, NC respectfully requests that the U.S. Representative Heath Shuler of the North Carolina 11th Congressional District and both of North Carolina’s U.S. Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagen support House Bill 5015 and Senate Bill 3197 before the 111th U.S. Congress that require a timetable for de-escalation of hostilities in Afghanistan beginning in January 2011; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City of Asheville, NC urges its members of Congress to take strong and forceful action to influence the U.S. Congress to steadily  decrease funding of this and related military operations, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the financial resources used to prosecute the war be redirected to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of our population, including education, health care and full benefits for returning veterans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution shall be sent to Barack Obama, President of the United States, the members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation, the North Carolina State legislature and North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue.

Adopted by the Council:

Council Members:

Date  ____, 2010

Maggie Burleson

City Clerk of the City of Asheville