The city of Hartford, CT once simply known as the insurance capital of the world has spoken loudly and pointedly in response to Obama’s urge to get his name in the ledger on the side of “War Engaged” rather than where his Nobel Peace Prize implies he should be siding. Hartford is a city that exemplifies the growing canyon between the haves and the have nots here in the US. It’s city council stood up and passed the following resolution and I for one am so proud of this city for being a pioneer in standing up to Democrat and Republican arrogance with respect to the fueling of the Military Industrial Complex.
From Christopher Hutchins of Hartford Bring Our War Dollars Home:
This is the Resolution that just passed through the city council of Hartford!
RESOLUTION
A resolution of the city council of Hartford, CT calling upon the US
government and President Obama to Bring Our War Dollars Home Now
Whereas, the economic collapse has exhausted the financial resources at the
local, county, state and federal levels of the US; and
Whereas, the US government since
2001 has spent well over 1 trillion dollars nationally on the wars and
occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Connecticut nearly 28 billion
dollars has gone to war spending and more than $453 million has been
taken from the city of Hartford to fund the wars and occupations, and
Whereas, more than 5,700 US troops have been killed, more than 40,000 wounded; and
Whereas, hundred’s of thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded and the
ongoing warfare poses great and unnecessary harm to the nation of Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan and elsewhere in the world; and
Whereas, billions of tax payer’s money is spent to prop up repressive regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world; and
Whereas,
educational services, medical care, housing, other essential public
services, infrastructure repair, and family financing throughout
Connecticut, especially in cities such as Hartford, have been diverted
from a constructive economy to these wars and occupations, and
Whereas,
budget deficits, largely due to war spending, have been used as a
pretext to force concessions from public sector unions from California
to Wisconsin to Connecticut; and
Whereas, 2010 census data shows that Hartford has the highest poverty rating in Connecticut at 31.9% (nationally, the poverty rating is 14.3%) and
Whereas,
communities of color in Hartford have been hardest hit. Our city has a
population that is 41% Latino and 38% African American/West Indian population. Unemployment for people of color is over 40%, and unemployment for people of color is nearly 20% and when employed, people of color make only 60 cents for every dollar made by white workers; and
Whereas, the above mentioned communities are heavily targeted for military recruitment,
Be it resolved that the city council of Hartford call upon the US
government and President Obama to end the wars and occupations in Iraq
and Afghanistan and bring our war dollars home now.
Now be it further resolved, that the city council of Hartford support
informational events regarding the cost of the wars and occupations to
our community; and
Be it further resolved that the city council of Hartford support the right
of public sector unions and all other unions to collectively bargain
and defend the interests of their members; and
Be it further resolved, that the city council of Hartford urge residents
to participate in the April 9, 2011 national march in New York City to
end the wars and occupations and bring our war dollars home.
